Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach.

“Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”

Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.

A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.

Rassin received Rotary's highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.

Rassin’s nomination follows Sam Owori's death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect.

Paul Sincock- District Governor

Paul Sincock joined the Plymouth Rotary Club in 1981 and is a second generation Rotarian, following in the footsteps of his late father, Robert, who also was a Plymouth Rotarian and Past Club President. Paul’s “Rotary Life” began early, attending many Plymouth Rotary Club and District events with his parents. Paul has incredible memories of working the serving line at the famous Plymouth Rotary Chicken Bar-be-que and attending many District Conferences with members of the Plymouth Rotary Club through his teen years.

Paul has served in many leadership positions of his club, Plymouth Rotary Foundation Board Member and President, and served as Club Board Member and served as President of the Rotary Club of Plymouth in 2001 – 02.

Besides his love for the City of Plymouth, where he serves as City Manager, Paul’s passion is the Rotary Youth Exchange program. With his firm belief that the Youth Exchange Program promotes Peace and Understanding around the world, Paul currently serves as the District 6400 Rotary Youth Exchange Committee Chair. Paul and his wife Traci, a member of the Northville Rotary Club have hosted numerous exchange students from around the world. As Chair of the Youth Exchange Committee, he has been instrumental in the transition that converted paper files to electronic files, which now allows easy club access to records and on-line applications for future students, club volunteers and host families. For his work with Youth Exchange, Paul was presented with a District COG Award in 2010 – 11.

Paul is a Paul Harris Fellow, a regular presenter on Customer Service issues and Youth Exchange, and has served on numerous District Conference Committees. He also can be seen as a volunteer airport ambassador at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and serves as chair of the Emergent Health Partners Quality Review Committee.

Paul and Traci, along with their beloved Labrador, Luke, look forward to serving District 6400 Rotarians.

RI Monthly Themes

July 2017

August 2017

Membership and New Club Development Month

September 2017

Basic Education and Literacy Month

October 2017

Economic and Community Development Month

November 2017

Rotary Foundation Month

December 2017

Disease Prevention and Treatment Month

January 2018

Vocational Service Month

February 2018

Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

March 2018

Water and Sanitation MonthApril 2017

Maternal and Child Health Month

May 2018

Youth Service Month

June 2018

The Rotary Foundation's 100th anniversary

Rotary Fellowships Month

The Adrian Noon Rotary Club is a vibrant, fun, and action-oriented club that is growing their membership and financial capability with strong committed members working towards improving the quality of life within the communities we serve.

Kathye Herrera - Club President

Welcome to our Club!

Service Above Self

We meet Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Lenawee Country Club

4110 Country Club Rd
Adrian, MI 49221
United States of America

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

Let’s Get to Know Rotary

Posted by Chuck Chase

Kathye, Nate, Nelson and Yours Truly [resented the program today and took the training program used to orient new members and narrowed it down to about 25% of the typical presentation and shared the information with members today.

Kathye addressed the topic of “What is Rotary” explaining that it is an organization – Join Leaders, Exchange Ideas and Take Action. She spoke about the elevator speech which the PR Committee was still working on and shared one that the district had developed when she attended the PETS training. She then spoke about how Rotary began in 1905 by founder. Rotary got its name, she said, from rotating from one location to the next to meet. Kathye concluded her presentation by saying that Rotary is 1.2 million members strong across 200 countries and 38,000 clubs. One of their first projects was to provide toilets in downtown Chicago.

Nate took the podium next to talk about what the many benefits were to being a Rotarian: Making difference in peoples’ lives, developing skills that can be applied to one’s career, and networking with other professionals, gives purpose to our lives among others. The official Rotary Motto, Nate said was SERVICE ABOVE SELF and coined in 1089. The Object of Rotary, he said was to encourage and foster the ideals of service as the basis of worthy enterprise. He went on to say that Rotary’s “Object” is implemented through RI’s five Avenues of Service: Club Service - Community Service – Vocational Service – International Service – Youth Services. Nate showed the breakdown of these and other committees and the members who serve on each and requested this be sent to each member.

PE Nelson stepped up next to speak about The 4-Way Test which was developed by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 which is every member’s yardstick to measure one’s level of integrity and ethical standards, he said. He then spoke about we, as Rotarians, are all about including: Digging wells to provide fresh drinking water around the world, Vaccinating children against polio; Restoring eyesight, Build housing, and Educating children among many others. Nelson reported that our club has 59 members currently and we are among 49 other clubs within District 6400 with Paul Sincock as our current District Governor. Next year’s Governor will be John Chambers whose theme will be “Do the Right Thing”. Nelson reminded members that we will celebrate our 100^th anniversary as a club in April of 2021. He went over the standard requirements of all Rotarians including attending meetings, joining a committee, paying dues on time, etc.

Yours Truly spoke last and briefly mentioned the dues structure which appears at the bottom of the formal application in the club brochure for prospects the different sites that we use to post club information. They include our club website at www.adrianrotary.org, RI’s website at www.myrotary.org on which club presidents announce their goals for the coming year and track progress and where members can create their own username and password and sign up to have donations to the RI Foundation deducted automatically. Also mentioned was the district website at www.district6400.org, and lastly our club’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/adriannoonrotaryclub. Our club tracks membership and creates our weekly bulletin using Clubrunner as opposed to DaCdb which other clubs in the district use.

Junior Rotarian Day

Posted by Chuck Chase

As you'll recall, we did not have a regular meeting on May 2nd as we joined the Kiwanis Club at their meeting on May 1st at the Center and participated in a very special presentation of Cradle to Career spearheaded by Nate Hamblin and Andrew Munson. Last week was the annual Junior Rotarian Day and 6 of our past Junior Rotarians did a fine job of handling all aspects of our meeting. During the meeting President Kathye presented Elizabeth Huffman with a $1,000 scholarship!

Chaloner & Company - Laura Wanke

General Manager of the newly remodeled Chaloner & Company and Chaloner’s Cigar House, Laura Wanke gave members a wonderful update on the new facility and what it means for Adrian. “Chaloner’s was the oldest and longest operating retail store in Michigan run by the Chaloner family until about the mid 70’s”, she said. Dave Pilmore and Scott Westfall purchased the business in 2015 from Dwayne and Carol Flint to essentially “revitalize downtown Adrian”.

The newly renovated building consists of 3 floors: first level – 300 square foot walk-in humidor with over 1,000 cigars priced from $2.50 to $112.50! Downstairs in their basement, she said, is yet another walk-in humidor that allows them to age a stock of other numerous cigars in house.

2^nd floor – For 21 year olds and older only. You can smoke cigars on that floor but not cigarettes. It is replete with a full service bar consisting of cocktails, beer (4 local rotating selections from Michigan), wine (70 different selections by the bottle) and soft drinks.

3^rd floor – On this floor is the Member’s Lounge with 130 lockers serving as individual humidors that "were all sold out within two days of opening", she said, complete with a vintage 1918 Brunswick pool table originally owned by Bob Westfall, Scott’s grandfather which was fully refurbished. Also on this floor is an atrium with waterfall and live plants which is the only area on the floor that is non-smoking.

Fifty percent of their clientele, she said, are not cigar smokers. "They just come for the environment and good conversation and enjoy a drink or two". Half of their overall customers, Laura said, are women and the other half men.

They are open 7 days a week. On Mondays through Thursdays they are open from 11am to 11pm; Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to midnight; Sundays – from 11am to 7pm. “The owners will never get a return on this project”, she said, “but the goal of this was to bring people in from outside this community so they can see the potential of this community and patronize other businesses and possibly spur them to invest in this community!” They also want to be the best cigar lounge in the country!"

The Copper House Coffee Company, their sister company next door, Laura said, is slated to open soon and owned by the Cotton family of Adrian.

Tanzania Project - PDG Rick Caron

Posted by Chuck Chase on Apr 12, 2019

It was great to see Past District Governor, Rick Caron, today and to hear his update on the project that has been near and dear to his heart - Legacy project in Tanzania through the Windsor 1918 Rotary Club. In Tanzania, Rick said, was a project to build a Learning Center to which our club donated $500 and Rick thanked us for. Tanzania is located on the east coast of Africa and the home, Rick was adamant about – the home of Mt. Kilimanjaro, not Kenya!

Rick spoke about, Dorcas, a student he and his wife have been supporting in Tanzania who was also present at the opening ceremonies at the new center. The real goal, he said, of his involvement in the Learning Center was “education” and particularly of “vulnerable young women” which broadened to young men over time as well. He went on to speak about the many successes he’s witnessed at the center.

He spoke about Mary who was a friend of his daughter, Julie, who had lost her husband and had two children one of which was Dorcas. Mary became aware of children in the area who had no parents and began taking them in. Eventually her dream was to have a facility that could house, love on, educate and feed children like these. Rick said his daughter returned to the states in 2009 and told him something needed to be done. They have been assisting ever since, he said. Shortly after her return, they were told Mary had died but that her brother, Timothy, continued to “carry on Mary’s vision”.

As soon as he became an NGO (Non-Government Organization) and with a board of directors, Rick told him they could continue to help which he did. Timothy, Rick said, soon became a member and eventually president of the club which eventually qualified the club for international grants that helped with the construction of the new Learning Center!

Rick went on to share the many success stories of students who have been able to attend the Center like Nima who was pregnant and then became a nurse thanks to the Learning Center; Oscar whose job was on the farm but who loved to learn and would sneak into the school and sit under desks because he couldn’t afford the fees and later passed an exam to qualify him to enter a secondary school! From there he entered medical school.

Another success story, Rick said, was Eva – and another product of the Learning Center who dropped out of school at age 17 to get married but because Timothy heard about he situation, is now a pharmaceutical technician; Patrick who also wants to become a doctor; JR (aka Junior Rick and “The Little Professor”) is actually named after Rick; Shedraq – a student Rick’s son is sponsoring needed an education to join the army so attended the center and soon had desires to become a mechanic; Marta – now in her second year studying business administration. “This school”, Rick said, “gives people a chance to excel and everyone improves with education”.

Rick also mentioned that Noel Jackson (PGN) and his wife are also supporting children in Tanzania and closed by showing us pictures of other children who were attending the Learning Center whose lives have been changed thanks to Rotary and the vision of Rick and his daughter, Julie! Always great seeing you, Rick. Keep up the wonderful work!

Should anyone wish to contribute to this great cause, he said, can contact PDG David Carpenter through the District 6400 website.

Adrian Center for the Arts - Pi Beneo & Alisa Lopez

Posted by Charles Chase on Apr 05, 2019

Pi took to the podium first to tell us three projects the center is working on. One was the Empty Bowls Project which will benefit the Daily Bread. Pi displayed a number of bowls prior to our meeting and some members purchased them. All bowls were made at the Art Center, she said, and are dishwasher and microwave safe and were made without any lead.

Another one of their programs, Pi said, was called Side-By-Side which is a program that assists local Art teachers and their students who excel in this area. This program pairs high school art students who have been identified by their Art teachers as their number one student who would then come to the Art Center in the fall to work with one of their resident artists to work on and complete various projects while they are there. There were 7 students who participated this year and they hope to have ten participate next year, she said. All art was officially exhibited and it was juried and the one selected as THE best was awarded $250 donated by Meijer. The winner was honored as being designated the Number One Art Student in Lenawee County – who Pi brought with her today – Alisa Lopez from Britton High School.

Alisa, who will be attending Siena Heights this fall majoring in Art and Psychology, spoke to the audience about the experience. She said she was grateful to have been part of this program and especially to have been chosen as the #1 art student in Lenawee County and to have met so many other art students who were as passionate about art as she was. Laura VanCamp was her mentor for the past six months. Prior to entering the program, Alisa said that her artwork involved painting.

This experience allowed her to engage in sculpture which, she said, she really enjoyed. During the program she made three sculptures – a bird person, a totem, and a lion mermaid sitting in a bathtub! Alisa said she was particularly proud of her accomplishments since she had no prior training or experience in sculpture. Alisa said she would like to become an Art Therapist following graduation from SHU.

Pi returned to the podium to talk about the third project the Art Center was working on which was a program in conjunction with Hospice of Lenawee this coming fall that would memorialize those who have passed. Doors will be used on which art will be done by local artists commemorating what deceased members of our community will be remembered for which will be aptly titled – The Power of Passage – coined by Anne herself, Pi said.

Pi concluded her presentation by bringing members up-to-date about the facility the Adrian Center for the Arts occupies now. That building will soon be taken over by folks from PlaneWave. The Arts Center will be moving to two building behind it that have been renovated for their use. One will be their gallery and youth studio.

American Farm Museum & Education Center

Posted by Chuck Chase on Mar 29, 2019

Melissa Tsuji is a member of the Career Counseling Department at Siena Heights and Jerry Roessler is retired and a veteran member of the Blissfield Rotary Club. They are both board members of the American Farm Museum & Education Center on hand to bring members up to date on the progress made to raise funds for and to create a farm campus in Blissfield. The property is located west of the McDonald’s restaurant in Blissfield off Jefferson Street. It was the former Home Canning Company site.

A 9-member board spearheads the organization and Pete Durbin is their CEO and Melissa is their President. Their strategic goals include: creating a unified campus building planned and constructed in stages; becoming a nationally-recognized educational center which will capture the significance of the American farmer and explain their important role in the food production process; construct storage for museum exhibits which includes their 13,000 toy collection, and 315 children pedal tractors, etc. They toys, Melissa said, were gifted to them by the late Charles and Barbara Burkholder valued at over $1M! Once electricity is available in the multi-purpose barn, these items will be moved into it for a small exhibition, she said.

Melissa said that they were gifted an 1860’s era barn by the Miller Murbaugh family which was dismantled by an Amish organization the sections of which currently sit in 5 semitrailers in their storage facility. The barn will eventually be re-erected and serve as education space on the campus. The foundation for the building has been poured and the “skeleton will soon start to go up”, she said.

Melissa said that there are 4 key areas they will be focusing on: Build, engage, educate, and sustain. The site plan and concept for the campus was developed by renowned architect, Friedrich St. Florian who also designed the WW II memorial in Washington DC! Melissa sat on the committee that helped build the memorial, she said! It was her grandfather, a WWII veteran, who proposed this project back in 1987!

Melissa said that the organization is current engaging in fundraising opportunities. The total goal is $20M, Melissa said. The organization has synergistic relationships with both the U of M and MSU and specifically with their museum faculties who are both interested in this project. The Education Center, she said will be THE key component on the campus. It will also serve as a meeting site and high tech facility for “all kinds of interested groups working in the AG industry”, she said. Their Farm to Table dinner events have also helped bring in needed money for the campaign. Melissa said they are currently looking to hire a Director/Fundraiser.

She described in detail how our club could help should we wish to donate to a number of projects that need to be completed: They need $28,000 to complete the re-erection of the 1860s barn, $16,000 for their electrical contract, $10,000 for poplar siding and $4,000 for a steel roof. Melissa closed by mentioning their Facebook page and info should we wish additional info at the American Farm Museum and Education Center, P.O. Box 37, Blissfield 49228 and at AFMEC.blissfield@gmail.com

New Sheriff - Troy Bevier

Posted by Chuck Chase on Mar 21, 2019

Mark Murray introduced Troy who has been in law enforcement for over 30 years. During his career he has done “some IT stuff” as well, he said. He and his wife, Sandy, have lived in Tecumseh for 23 years. Troy commented on the work being done at the Sheriff’s office on Maple Avenue and said he still attends weekly construction meetings. There will be an official open house once the work is completed sometime in September, he said.

He said he was glad to report that there were no major crime sprees going on currently in the county but they have received a number of calls reporting various scams. He said he has many wonderful staff (over 100) and employees and that he is looking forward to serving all of Lenawee County and if there was anything we need, to stop by or call. He closed by encouraging each of us to take time to commend a deputy when we see them as they put their lives on the lines every day to protect us since “it is a scary time to be in this line of work today”.

Dick Eppstein - Better Business Bureau

Posted by Charles Chase on Mar 15, 2019

What are the latest scams? How do the criminals exploit technology to fool us? BBB President Dick Eppstein has witnessed tremendous changes in the way criminals exploit technology to their advantage. He was here today to educate us as consumers so we can avoid being cheated, and BBB’s effort to expose and destroy the crooks who prey on innocent victims every day.

Dick is the president of the Better Business Bureau that serves a 24-county area of Northwestern Ohio, Lima and Southeastern Michigan from its offices in Sylvania Township and a Toledo Rotarian. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo and the Better Business Bureau Institute for Executive Development, Washington, D.C.

For over 46 years, Dick has been involved in BBB work. He is well known as a regular guest on Toledo WTOL-TV (Channel 11), and is also a regular radio personality on several area stations. The Bureau under his leadership has established a national reputation for innovation, especially in its ethics instruction, charity review and advertising review programs.

Among other honors, Dick is a three-time past president of the Ohio Better Business Bureau and has been elected to the Scott High School (Toledo) Hall of Fame. He belongs to the FBI Citizens Academy, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and other professional organizations.

Dick and his wife, Grace, live in Sylvania Township. They are proud parents of two sons; Andrew, Chief of General Surgery at the Roudebush Veterans Administration Hospital in Indianapolis, and Alexander, Pastor at Bethel Reformed Presbyterian Church in Sparta, Illinois. They have four grandchildren.

Here are just a few of the scams Dick shared with us today:

“I’m calling from the IRS.” – These scammers often call from overseas and want you to send them money immediately. The IRS DOES NOT CALL ANYONE DIRECTLY!
“You have won Publishers Clearinghouse.” – They want fees or taxes in advance they say so they can release prize money. DON’T DO IT. It’s a scam.
“Grandma, can you help?” – Scammers disguise themselves as relatives pleading for you to send them money since they are in trouble of some sort. DON’T DO IT!
This is IT service calling.” – These scammer want to access your computer because they say they have noticed a virus or t’s running too slow. DO NOT GIVE THEM ACCESS. It’s a scam!
“You’ve been approved for a government grant.” – These bandits tell victims that, because they have been model citizens and pay their taxes, they have been approved for a grant of thousands of dollars.

Dick cited a number of others and said for more info about these and others to go to www.bbb.org for much more information.

Patrick Hartory - Motivational Speaker

Posted by Charles Chase on Mar 01, 2019

Patrick has helped business leaders and organizations across the country tell their stories. He is the founder and former head of a national marketing firm while having worked with Monster Energy, PBS, Capitol Records, AT&T and a full roster of top artists and other brands.

Today, he is a nationally-recognized speaker and marketing influencer as well as the author of numerous articles and three books including “What Customers Love: 10 Ways to Turn Your Customers into Fans and Followers” available on March 30^th.

Patrick’s presentation focused on engaging with others in a world that has its challenges caused by increased competition, unlimited choices and short attention spans while asking: How do you stand out? How do you tell your story? How do you earn the attention your cause deserves?

Patrick, through a series of stories and personal experiences described how to stand out and reach our audiences in a noisy world primarily through the power of stories and personal relationships. His advice to us was: Be Personal, Be Authentic, Help First, and Do it Now.

2019 P.E.T.S.

As you may already know, every incoming president of the Adrian Noon Rotary Club is required to attend this 3-day intensive and informative training event. This year it will again be held in Kalamazoo and our President-Elect, Nelson Douglass, will be in attendance from March 14^th to the 16^th at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center.

The Great Lakes Rotary President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) is one of the largest multi-district PETS in the United States. It was formed with a view to becoming a premier training event with the atmosphere of a mini Rotary International Convention by leveraging the expertise of six Rotary Districts with clubs in Michigan Indiana, and Ontario.

With the ability to host exceptional speakers, informative workshops, detailed district training sessions, fellowship and networking, the basic purpose of our PETS is to motivate over an anticipated 400 attendees including club presidents-elect, presidents-elect nominee and assistant governors to ensure they are extremely well prepared for their year of service.

The Great Lakes Rotary PETS designs the three day conference to truly benefit the attendees providing opportunities to learn about the breadth of Rotary and share ideas with fellow Rotarians and have some fun along with it!

As a six-district president-elect training seminar, Great Lakes Rotary PETS has always attracted engaging, motivating speakers and the best trainers and facilitators from each of the districts. The curriculum is frequently updated so new ideas are presented and discussed. One of the keynote speakers scheduled this year is Mark Daniel Maloney, RI President-Elect.

Member Moment - Bruce Goldsen

Posted by Chuck Chase on Feb 09, 2019

Bruce Goldsen who will turn the big 6-0 this year and our newest member and a recent transfer from the Adrian Morning Club, gave his member moment today. Bruce said he grew up in Connecticut and started his radio career in 1976 in Wilmington, NC at a “big” radio station WMFD. His first day on the job he hosted their Tradio Show called Swap Shop, he said.

He said he met his wife, Sue, while living in Connecticut and going to school there. Bruce said he then went to a station in Tennessee and then in Florida and ended up in Jacksonville when he got a call from a friend who said that there were stations in Jackson that were for sale. So, in 1990, Bruce and Sue moved to Adrian and admitted that they didn’t know anybody so looked for a service club he could join to meet people.

He decided to join the Adrian Rotary Club who were meeting at the YMCA at about the time the organization admitted ladies. The Adrian club was quick to admit six. Bruce said it was an excellent move and that we still need to have more diversity. He said he was president in 1997-98 but then transferred to the Jackson Club due to his work with the radio stations there. Two years later he, along with Dave Maxwell and a few other Rotarians decided to start a Morning Club in Adrian which was chartered in 1999.

Bruce said that he has been a part of the Radio Industry for many years and very involved in it, too. He served on the 70+ member board of the National Association of Broadcasters as their Michigan representative from 2003-2009. Julie Koehn from WLEN, he said, served from 2009-2015. Bruce is doing another 6 year stint along with serving on their 10 member Executive Committee.

On the Rotary side of things, Bruce said that while radio is his vocation, Rotary is his passion. In 1993 he hosted the club’s first Youth Exchange student, Adolfo, from Brazil. Since then, he said, they have hosted his sister, and brother and others totaling seven altogether! They have kept in very close contact with all of them, he said, sharing their excitement when their own children were born who they consider their own grandchildren!

Bruce said that they travel extensively around the world with much of it being for Rotary. They have been to many Rotary International Conventions. They will be attend the one in Hamburg this year, he said. The past 3 years he has been proud to serve on the RI Youth Exchange Committee as well as serving as chair for the Youth Exchange meeting as part of the pre-convention activities. He, of course, has served as District Governor in District 6400 in 2008-09 as did Sue two years ago. They have been part of various service project oversees for Rotary in Ghana, India, and they look forward to their next project “wherever that may be”.

They remain very involved in the district with chairing many district conferences including the one coming up. Bruce said he also had the honor of chairing a Zone Institute for past RI Vice President, Jennifer Jones. There are 39 zones around the world comprised of a certain number of districts made up of local clubs.

When asked if he had any ambitions about becoming a future RI President, he quickly said without hesitation – “NO!”

Dempsey's - Tiffany Sieler

Posted by Chuck Chase on Jan 25, 2019

Downtown Dempsey’s – Tiffany Sieler

Tiffany Sieler (second from left in photo) shared with audience members how appreciative she was to have been chosen an Adrian Noon Club Junior Rotarian and being a past recipient of our club scholarship. She attended Adrian High School and graduated from the U of M and got her Master’s Degree from Columbia University.

She said that she went to Florida to complete an internship where she saw some of the abuses of plastic and other refuse in the waterways. She returned to Adrian and is now the General Manager of the new Downtown Dempsey’s restaurant in Downtown Adrian where she has initiated the sustainable dining effort, using as many compostable/ biodegradable items as she can in the restaurant. Her folks, Les and Mary Sieler own Sieler’s Water System and bought the restaurant from Loretta Dempsey ensuring that family recipes got passed along.

Tiffany developed a project called “Dine to Donate” designed to take contributions and distribute to different non-profit each month. When you dine in at Downtown Dempsey's, 10% of your purchase goes to that non-profit being featured for the month. The month of February will be United Way Lenawee/Monroe Counties (inside the Gallery of Shops). The month of March will be Hospice of Lenawee.

Rotary Woodworking Warriors - Luke Barnett

Posted by Chuck Chase

Luke returned to the podium today to speak about this new and “signature” program of the Adrian Noon Rotary Club. The full board last week approved the recommendation to submit a formal proposal to the board of directors of the Adrian Rotary Foundation for $25,000 in support of this important program. A motion to approve was made by Kathryn S. and seconded by Bob Behnke and was passed unanimously! Luke made special mention of State Representative Bronna Kahle’s hand-signed letters she gave him expressing total support of this program!

Luke then proceeded to give more details of the program and answered a number of the audience's questions. The basic focus of the program, he said, was to offer PTSD support, allow veterans to use the shop and all of its equipment, receive valuable/marketable education through the classes that are taught and even certification through the state so those who want to pursue a career.

Mike Tobey, a fellow club member and veteran himself spoke next saying that he served in Viet Nam and has medical issues from exposure to Agent Orange. He left Viet Nam in 1966 but it wasn’t until 1986 that he was diagnosed with PTSD. He continues therapy to this day. Hollywood and the media, Mike said, need to be quickly corrected when they allege that those veterans suspected of commiting crimes, always attribute it to PTSD. Mike quickly put that to rest and added that it is actually less than 5% of all crimes.

PTSD, Mike said, was something that could be addressed through woodworking which not only gives vets something to do but helps them interrelate with one another. “The program can potentially reach out in so many other directions, too.” Mike clarified that alcohol would not be part of this program unlike groups such as the VFW and the American Legion. It is an environment that is less than appropriate for people with PTSD who might have a weakness for alcohol.

Nate added that the Brownstown Rotary Club in Brownstown Michigan started an organization called the Victory Gym and was aware of what we’re doing at the workshop and expressed much interest in learning to provide a similar woodworking program at their gym. They said that they would be willing to learn from us and therefore touch even a larger group of vets than are in Lenawee County alone. District Governor Noel Jackson provided a bit more info on what the Brownstown Club was doing.

Luke summed everything up by saying that this program will officially launch in May of this year and that every Wednesday the Sam Beauford Workshop will be closed to the public. It will be called Woodworking Warrior Wednesday and run from sun up to sun down. Vets can simply show up and not do anything they want if it's only to enjoy fellowship and coffee with other vets. For others who want more they can embark on official vocational certification. Those who do simply come in and chat could further be encouraged to get involved in woodworking at some level and eventually seek certification, Luke said. There will be scheduled class time for those who would like to participate the workshop's typical 6-week classes, Luke said. Remember – there will be no charge to veterans regardless of their level of involvement.

Side note: every member should have received a copy of the full color brochure that was distributed. (Shown at the right).

Member Moment - Rod Hokenson

While “Member Moments” are generally presented by the club’s newest members, longtime member, Rod Hokenson, was invited actually to do our program today….. He and his wife, Helen, will be leaving the area and the club to begin a new season in their lives,"back to a college dorm” lifestyle (actually The Fountains at Kalamazoo near oldest son, oldest granddaughter and families). Rod is originally from North Dakota, a farm kid during the Depression and Dustbowl, the youngest of 10 children! He said he actually had two lives here in Adrian: the first, 1972-89, as Pastor of Christ Redeemer ELCA church on Maumee -- he admitted trying to cut it short here after 6-8 years, thinking he had done most of what he could. But "the Lord,kept pulling on my coattails” and seemed to want him to stay put. So he did, . Then he really got involved in community activities. Rod said he’s really loved Adrian.

His life of 38 years as a Pastor, 17 of them here, he said, was very rewarding; particularly fulfilling in retrospect seems to be in the Copper Country 1964-72, helping two old ethnic churches (Finn and Swede) merge and build new facilities in the face of great economic uncertainty. After leaving Adrian he ministered in Oak Park MI, Hammond, IN, Connersville, IN, retiring in 1996. Earlier churches, following College in MN and Seminary in Chicago, were in WI and MN. “I am not shy to say I have reached age 87” he added.

After seven years “away" , Rod and Helen decided to Adrian for their “second life”, now at 23 years. They are moving to where some of their family lives. That is, however, at the moment on hold (possibly moreso by the government shutdown and its possible impact on FHA loans). As you know, Rod and Helen started the Great Pasty Project to benefit Habitat for Humanity (Shown at last year's program at left).

Rod then spoke about Rotary and specifically about the first Rotary Show he was in (about 2002 titled “Who Wants to be a Billionaire?”). He was put into a role which even won him the “Cracked Mirror”award for being the "best looking character in drag " playing the coveted role of “Miss Birdsall”! He actually joined Rotary while in Connersville, IN and was recognized “The Most Valuable Rotarian” his very first year as a member! It was Joe Wagley III, Rod said, following his year as president, who invited him to join this club. Joe was starting in real-estate at that time: he helped Rod find their present house, and ironically is again handling its sale. Nate Smith, he said, was his banker back then so it felt like he was truly coming home, he said.

Rod said he joined Rotary because he has a passion for international involvement and to raise the awareness that the US is not the only country in the world. Rod lived in Germany, traveled to India, and “hit another continent in between”. One recent focus was on developing solar power in Africa. Another passion of his, he said, was RI’s GSE program – Group Study Exchange. He shared with the audience an experience he had with Chip Moore who took a group of visitors in the two-engine King Air at the Adrian airport, going over Cedar Point and Detroit and the group “loved it”. As a private pilot he also took a group from India on an overflight of Lenawee County, apparently their first time in a small plane.

“To sum up my lifetime”, Rod said, he is gratified to still be able to do things and to care for his “beloved wife”. How very grateful he’s been, he said, to be able to grow old together, in sickness and in health. The simple phrase “I love you”, Rod said, has been spoken more often in the past 5 years in their home than ever before! …… In closing Rod wanted to leave a word of wisdom , especially to the newer members – “Don’t wait to be asked to do something, be bold, look at yourself and ask ‘what do I have to offer?’ You don’t have to be a Bruce Goldsen, a Mark Murray, or a Nate Smith. Simply volunteer and make clear to the leadership what your interests. abilities and limitations are. Come, then, with what you have to offer and your passions and maybe they will become someone else’s”. “It’s been a pleasure to be a part of this club. I love you all, God Bless You”.

Following Rod’s presentation President Kathy presented him with a maple wooden plaque designed and made by Luke in honor of his 20 plus years of service to the Adrian Noon Rotary Club. ……. Ed note: We’re going to miss you Rod and Helen. God Speed.

Habitat for Humanity - Carrie Hartley

Posted by Chuck Chase

Carrie is the Development Director for Habitat and told members that what Habitat does is “all about neighborhood revitalization”. It’s helping people repair homes as well as build them so people have a place to live. Habitat, she said, partnered this year with the Adrian Morning Club and focused on the Parish Park neighborhood in particular. Habitat has campus chapters at both Adrian College and SHU working in construction, working at Habitat’s Restore, volunteering in their office, etc. The students really love helping out, Carrie said.

Carrie showed photos of a new home built for the Steffen family. Carrie said it was so nice to talk with the children to ask them what their hopes and dreams were and hearing their responses. One said she was very excited about having her own bedroom she could decorate herself. Another child was just happy about now having a place she could come home to. Their Mother was grateful that she could now give stability to her family.

Carrie said that Habitat was even partnering with RI, that they really have similar missions and that they were exploring grant monies that might be available. She showed pictures of the proposed housing plan at the former McKinley School property. She spoke about their Faith Build Program where local churches contribute to their cause. She said that in order to be successful, 15 churches must be involved. These could be small groups at these churches being involved.

Carrie announced that The Great Pasty Project will be January 24 and 25. She pointed out that it was our own Rod and Helen Hokenson that started this important program which usually makes about $20,000 a year, involves 300+ volunteers who make over 3,000 pasties! A new Breakfast pasty, she said, will be available this year.

Carrie closed by announcing Habitat’s 30^th Anniversary Celebration scheduled for February 18^th at Adrian College in the Tobias Room.

Woodworking for Warriors – Luke Barnett

Luke began by making this statement: “This program is an opportunity for veterans to go to the Sam Beauford Workshop and work for free”! The group’s mission, he said, is: “PROMOTING POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR VETERANS THROUGH PEER MENTORSHIP AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION”.

According to the US Government, he said, only about half of veterans get the help that they need due to such reasons as: many suffer from shame and stigma, the fear of being seen as weak, a lack of understanding about treatment options, concerns over wait time and the inability to travel distances for care. This program, Luke said, will provide them what they need right here in Adrian. These will not be therapy sessions but will go a long way to increase the self-esteem of the men and women who served our country.

While we’ve all heard of PTSD (a condition caused generally by a single event), Luke said, CPTSD is a different condition and a bit harder to treat. It is repeated trauma over an extended period of time. Both, he said, can be addressed through woodworking. The program will consist of “Woodworking Wednesdays”. The workshop will be closed to the public those days and be a veterans ONLY day. No classes for the public will be scheduled that day, Luke said.

Veterans will be able to come in and choose from several options. One option will allow them to use the machinery to make whatever objects they want with some materials the workshop will provide. There will also be the educational component which will allow veterans to participate in training by skilled instructors. Classes will be offered in guitar making, knife making, etc. There will also be a PTSD support group even though it won’t be called that.

The success of the program, Luke said, will be measured in several different ways. A veteran who completes a high quality project will be deemed a success. “These are not your typical popsicle sticks and toilet paper tubes. These are projects that have marketable value in the world.” Veterans will see their accomplishments as meaningful. As participants develop skills on machines, they get vocational certification for doing it through a national accredited organization, Luke said. It will be a real plus for those wanting to get into the woodworking industry long term.

Luke shared with the audience the cost involved which was just under $35,000 that would include instructor wages, materials, facility expenses, marketing, tooling & software, and certification fees for up to 20 veterans. Thanks to the equipment the workshop currently has, the costs to launch and run this program have been greatly reduced. This program will seek funding from outside donors as well as from our club who has already confirmed it as a club program. It could very well be our “signature project”!

Following our regular meeting a group of members and veterans from the area as well as four who traveled from Big Rapids met to discuss the details.

Christmas Program - Students from Michener Elementary

What a wonderful presentation put on by nine students of Michener Elementary School under the direction of Mrs. Force. They sang a medley of popular songs to put us all in the holiday spirit. Today's program was a complete surprise to us all. Joining them were Reading Specialist, Kathy Sielsky, and Building Principal, Anne LaCasse.

Launch Lenawee

Mary Murray kicked things off before handing the mike over to Naomi Lolley by saying that Launch Lenawee is a new program actually run by volunteers to assist individuals who want to start their own businesses in Lenawee County. She thanked Adrian Morning Rotarian, Dave Maxwell, for his efforts in the program along with Nate Smith as well as Naomi Lolley who she asked to share more about this program.

Naomi said she has been very proud to be a part of Launch Lenawee. She said that the program began with 12 applicants initially which was later narrowed down to 7 who participated in a very structured business training program. All sessions are approximately two and a half hours in length every Wednesday evening at the Adrian Armory and Events Center for six weeks conducted by herself and Gary Clemetson from Lenawee Now. At the conclusion of the training, a mentor is assigned to each. Naomi showed the audience a short video describing the program. You can see it again at: www.launchlenawee.org. Interested candidates, Naomi said, meet with her to determine what things they need, where their deficiencies are and then direct them to the proper resources. A critical partner of Launch Lenawee has been Lenawee Now.

Naomi introduced two students currently participating in the program – Jay and Guinne Marks and Joe Kozakiewicz and Jay Marks. Both spoke about the tremendous help they have received from going through the program and mentioned the importance networking, having a business plan and knowing who their customers are.

Mark Murray concluded this informative presentation by mentioning how proud he was of all of the participants in this program and the leadership team. The Kauffman Institute, he said, whose only job is to educate entrepreneurs for over the past 50 years, makes available a blended on-line program that is intense yet critical to each of the participants. He said that the partnerships with the Adrian Rotary Clubs, Lenawee Now, the Adrian Chamber and everyone else who is on board to support Launch Lenawee have contributed to its success.

Potential candidates in the program, Mark said, should they be selected to participate in the program understand that they must commit to: Two and a half hours per week in the classroom for a total of 8 weeks; 4 hours of homework in between; monthly meetings with cohorts – checking; business topic presentations; monthly individual meetings with their Primary Mentor; other individual meetings with Resource Mentors; attend various networking events.

Mark ended by encouraging all members to seriously consider becoming a mentor since Launch Lenawee is an official Rotary project!

DG Paul Sincock's Official Visit

Posted by Chuck Chase

Assistant Governor, Marilyn Kremer was on hand as DG Paul and Tracy Sincock paid his official visit to our club. She introduced Paul by mentioning that he joined the Plymouth Rotary Club in 1981 and is a second generation Rotarian, was club president in 2001-02 and his passion is the Youth Exchange program. His Father and Mother were both Rotarians. He and his wife are multiple Paul Harris Fellows. Paul is a C.O.G. Award recipient in the 2010-11 year. He is the City Manager of Plymouth for over 17 years.

DG Paul met with then club’s board prior to the regular meeting for an update on what he had accomplished thus far and what we had planned for the future. During his formal presentation Paul started with a selfie as he does when he visits all other clubs. He commended our club on its long, rich history and acknowledged the fact that we will be celebrating our 100^th anniversary thanks to 24 charter members in 2021 and one of the oldest clubs in District 6400.

He spoke about how our club and all of the other clubs make a difference around the world. Paul repeated what RI President Barry Rassin says many times and which is his theme this year - “It is our time to be the inspiration.” Paul mentioned his district theme – “Pursue the Dream.” Paul said he wants us to think big particularly in Rotary’s six areas of focus: Clean water, Prevention of Family Disease, Promoting Peace, Maternal Health, Supporting Education, and Growing Local Economies. Walt Disney said “All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them!”

One such dream, he said, is the eradication of polio and “it’s a dream that can come true because Rotary has the courage to dream.” Paul made special mention that for every dollar given to eradicate polio, the Gates Foundation will contribute $3!! “Rotary is on the front line of changing peoples’ lives as the Adrian club has with programs like the River Raisin Cleanup as just one example of all of the other things you do”, he said. Paul emphasized RI President Rassin’s priorities for the year: Support and strengthen our clubs (through membership), increasing our humanitarian service (through the RI Foundation), and enhancing our public image and awareness (through RI’s Brand Center via the Internet). DG Paul encouraged our club to contact at least five “Rotary Alumni” and to determine what impact Rotary has made on their lives.

DG Paul encouraged members to consider attending his District Conference in Windsor (Caesar’s Windsor Hotel) scheduled for May 10-12, 2019. It’s the very first time in 40 years, he said, that it will be held within our district! For more information, visit the district’s website at www.rotary6400.org. DG Paul promises that it will have “real take-home value” with many fabulous speakers which starts Friday evening, continues all day Saturday and well into the evening and concluding Sunday morning. Following Paul’s presentation, President Kathye presented him with a wooden plaque in the circular shape of his theme for the year specially made by President-Elect Luke! It was wonderful to see the Sincock’s today.

Salvation Army Update - Bryan Bowers

Posted by Chuck Chase

Pattie introduced fellow board member and chair of the Salvation Army, former Adrian Noon Rotarian, and an investment counselor in Adrian, Bryan Bowers who spoke about the good things the organization does in our community. He’s been a board member for 22 years, is a grad of MSU, is married with 3 sons and very active with the Boy Scouts, and is a church board member.

Here is what he shared with us today. The SA was founded in England in 1852 and this local agency has served Lenawee County for some 122 years! They are actually an Evangelical Christian Church with a chapel who hold weekly services and youth programs as well as a “social welfare organization", he said. A social worker is on staff there.

The SA has a canteen, a truck with a kitchen built into it that feeds many in need following natural disasters. Their truck has also traveled out of state to help with hurricane relief efforts specifically with food and shelter. SA’s social service area is their primary focus. They feed some 140 people twice to three times a week out of their facility here in Adrian. Their Fresh Food Initiative provides fresh produce to over 600 people each week on Tuesdays in the county.

Pathway to Hope is another SA program that provides families with the necessary education and tools (i.e. learning finances, how to apply for a job, family relationship skills, etc.) that are so critical to assisting them in breaking the cycle of poverty and social welfare dependence, Bryan said. Another big SA program is their annual Toy Drive in conjunction with Wagley Funeral Home in Adrian and Blissfield.

The SA provided space for Share the Warmth until 2017 because they are now in their own building. SA also coordinate with area churches to shelter nuclear families in particular at local hotels and have spent over $28,000 this past year. SA helps families with their utility bills. Overall, various assistance, he said, is provided to between 1,800 and 2,400 people per month. SA has a resale store, of course, and staffed by 7 people. This store provides half of SA’s revenue to provide assistance to those in need.

The SA is looking to expand their existing store on Church Street by adding a rag processing facility which will take clothes that cannot be resold and bundling them and sending them overseas. The SA will also be upgrading and expanding their kitchen facility for a cost of $400,000 due the increasing numbers of people they feed each week and to prepare for a natural disaster when they might have to feed up to 1,000.

Bryan closed by saying that another Annual Kettle Drive is being planned in addition to a Kettle Kickoff event on November 9^th at the First United Methodist Church at 7am to build community awareness about the organization. Hope you will be able to attend!

Hospice of Lenawee - Dr. Justin Voorhees

We were honored to have representatives of the Hospice of Lenawee with us today. Joining our speaker, Dr. Justin Voorhees, were the Executive Director of Hospice, Travis Havens, and our own Anne Sherman.

Justin is a native of Missouri and the son-in-law of Kevin Keller! He attended Texas A & M, studied medicine in Grand Rapids, practiced internal medicine for some time and then became interested in “end of life” care. He participated in a Hospice Fellowship program and moved to Michigan as Hospice of Lenawee was looking for a medical director. He started in July and has been very encouraged since he’s been here as to ”how people in this community are pouring into this organization”. Hospice not only helps their patients, they help their families, he said, providing extensive resources.

Justin said that Hospice has its beginnings during the time of the Crusades. Cicely Saunders, Justin said, is widely regarded as a key founder of modern hospice programs as well as one of the first leading advocates for palliative care to help ensure patients with terminal illnesses are treated with compassion and respect. She was formerly a nurse who later became a physician.

Hospice, he said, focuses more on comfort than on a cure. In other words, on pain management. Medicare Part A helps with the costs of people needing Hospice’s services. Certain criteria, however, need to be met. Patients need a terminal diagnosis by two separate physicians, and must be within 6 months of their demise, Justin said. Covered items include all medications, equipment and services related to the terminal illness. “Volunteers are a huge help to us at Hospice”, he said.

In some cases, a Hospice patient’s health actually improves and their medications will be cut back, he said. Many are discharged and the average is about two a month. For these patients a medical plan is developed moving forward. Should their conditions worsen again, they can re-enroll.

As Justin was wrapping up his presentation, Frank Dick mentioned how fortunate our community is to have a Hospice to meet the needs of the terminally ill and that we should all support it.

Gerrymandering – Gwynne Fisher, Judith Hammerle and Marcia Boynton

Posted by Chuck Chase on Sep 29, 2018

These ladies presented a lot of information about the League of Women’s Voters’ efforts on this subject and passed along a site members might want to go to for more information on this important issue: www.lwvmi.org

An overall summary of the issue and a quote from the site: On December 22, 2017, The League of Women Voters of Michigan and 11 individual voters filed a lawsuit against the State of Michigan in federal court in Detroit to end unfair, partisan gerrymandering of Michigan’s Congressional, state senate and state house districts.

“The Michigan League of Women Voters today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of voters throughout Michigan to end the practice of unfair, partisan gerrymandering,” said Judy Karandjeff, president of the Michigan League of Women Voters. “Michigan’s State House, Senate and Congressional districts are among the worst in the nation when it comes to partisan gerrymandering, and today’s lawsuit aims to fix the problem and restore voters’ rights to choose who best represents them. Ending partisan gerrymandering is critical to preserve our democracy and ensure every vote counts,” said Sue Smith, director of the League’s Redistricting Program.

Results of Branding Survey - Potthast & Chase

Well, the results are in! Here is the info we compiled as a results of the responses to the 3 questions we asked:

Here were the number of times the following words showed up in our responses:

Service/Serve (27)
Community (22)
Rotary (10)
Club (9)
Opportunity (9)
Helping (8)
Adrian (5)
Organization (4)

Equal weight (scored 3)

Support
Fellowship
Involved
Professionals

Additional Noteworthy Words Used include:

Better
Compassionate
Devotes/Dedicated
Improve
Impact
Caring
Fun

Next steps include:

Key word analysis (Done)
Answers/phrases analysis and review (By PR Committee)
Brainstorm (By PR Committee)
- Strategy developed
- Draft of “elevator speech” developed
- Formal Plan development
Present plan to members (By PR Committee)
Feedback from members (ALL)

Mark suggested that when we ask reach out and ask non-Rotarians to help us on different projects, that would be quite significant to possibly increasing our membership.

Jim closed by saying that all research on this subject reveals that story telling is the most impactful way of getting our message out to others.

Club Assembly - PR Committee Presentation

Today was actually a Club Assembly in addition to Sinner of the Year and Perfect Participation Awards. Yours Truly kicked thing off by letting the audience know that the Public Relations Committee was working on the issue of identifying exactly who are club is and what do we do. Committee member, Jim Potthast, went on to explain further why this was necessary and asked those in attendance to take time to complete a very brief questionnaire that would help the PR Committee answer those questions and eventually develop a brief, consistent “elevator speech” all members could learn and respond to anyone asking them “So, what is the Adrian Noon Rotary Club and what do they do?”

Jim took us through a number of slides during his presentation and said the thrust of it would be to be able to tell others who are not familiar with Rotary what it is that we do in a short, concise sentence or two which would also be helpful when recruiting other members yet we say something different every other time!

“We have slogans and symbols everywhere! And, they change every year. But none of the capture who we are!” In his research on RI over the weekend, he said, he came upon two mottos. One read: He profits most who serves the best. He said that the exercise he was going to put us through should be fun. All ideas should fuel off another. We are in this together. It’s a total team effort, he said. The bottom line is: What is the message we want to deliver verbally, on social media, radio as well as print that communicates an emotional connection with others.

Take Harley for instance, they use words they live by in their communications like “ruggedness”, “adventuresome”, “strong”, “American”, and “rebel”. It’s the makings of an “elevator pitch”, Jim said. We’ll take everyone’s comments which will then be developed into a Marketing Plan. Prior to giving the audience a few minutes to complete the questionnaire, Jim concluded by saying that we are in need of additional people to serve on the PR Committee. Please let us know if you would like to serve.

Perfect Participation Awards

The following members were recognized today for their consecutive years of perfect participation in the Adrian Rotary Club. If you are not on the list, please consider making it a goal for yourself. The criteria is basically to do 50 things in the spirit of Rotary (including meetings) for the year. Please let Allen know if you choose this as a goal and keep him posted regarding your activities. Congratulations to:

Luke Barnett- 1

Barry Reinink-1

Kevin Marti-2

Susan Tobey-2

Mike Tobey-2

Sue Lewis-3

Dane Nelson-3

Kathy Williams-3

Brent Mercer-8

Mary Murray-9

Gerry Burg-10

Kathye Herrera-10

Chuck Chase-14

Nate Smith-14

Rod Hokenson-15

Bob Sack-16

Patty Clark-17

Rhonda Gage-17

Allen Slater-17

Kevin Keller-22

Mark Murray-23

Sinner of the Year Award

The following members were fined these amounts last Rotary year in ascending order:

Sutherland ($1)

Ellerholz ($6)

Sack ($7)

Sherman ($7)

Behnke ($7)

Maxson ($8)

Kojima ($10)

Potthast ($11)

Gage ($12)

Slater ($12)

Kathryn S. ($13)

Easton ($13)

Salazar ($14)

Hokenson ($14)

Douglass ($15)

Burg ($15)

Lewis ($19)

S. Tobey ($20)

Williams ($20)

Barnett ($22)

Keller ($22)

Herrera ($25)

Pender ($26)

Smith ($56)

Chase ($66)

Japanese Exchange Program - LISD

Ed Lyons, a fulltime teacher at Sand Creek Schools and LISD Japan Exchange Student Coordinator who spoke about the program which results in an exchange of students twice a year between Adrian and Moriyama Japan – Adrian’s Sister City! Ed began by thanking our club for its support of this program over the years.

A delegation of middle school students (usually 4 boys and 4 girls) and teachers (2) from Japan in October each year who travel here and stay with host families there for 7-10 days which includes a trip to Washington D.C. Then in June of the following year, they host a similar delegation from Lenawee County which includes a trip to Hiroshima.

Two of the 8 students who just returned from Japan in June, Liam Cornish (Tecumseh Freshman this year) and Maddie Bowman (a Blissfield Freshman this year), shared their experiences while there with the audience. They spoke about the lasting friends they made, the foods they developed tastes for and the different activities they were involved in.

Maddie said that, in Japan, students stay in the same classroom throughout the school day and the teachers go to them to conduct their classes! Liam said that he learned so much about the Japanese culture and language while he was there he had never known before. While there, he was able to play on a Japanese high school soccer team.

Ed concluded the presentation by saying that the money we donate supports the cost of admissions to various sites when the Japanese delegation comes here along with lunches and transportation expenses. Should any student (6^th and 7^th graders in Lenawee County) wish to become part of this program, a registration site (https://www.lisd.us/instruction/programs/japanese-exchange/) will be up and running this November and December, Ed said, to indicate their interest.

Kathye Herrera - Club President