Here are Gerry’s fine comments (word-for-word) at today’s meeting:
“We don’t often get to thank each other for all of the difference you make. You’d be amazed at the number of times I hear individual names and many of whom are sitting here today from kids who I run into at Adrian High who say ‘Do you know so and so? They made a difference in my life.’ We often hear the difficult stories but you’d be amazed at the things that have happened with our Junior Rotarians and what they say about this group to their friends. There are great kids in Lenawee County and in Adrian Michigan. And you’re making a difference. And I can site each one of you and say ‘This is what I’ve heard. This is the difference you made’.
So, my program is, any chance you have to work with kids, and many times have to work with kids who have serious problems – there’s no doubt about that, but also there are a lot of kids are, for lack of a better term, BC kids who are going to be then salt of this earth, they’re going to make good citizens and anything you can do to help them along the way – be a mentor – doesn’t have to be time intensive, just be a mentor by just asking them ‘How you doing?’ you’d be amazed at the feedback that I hear out of the Rotary Club of Adrian. It’s simply amazing. The scholarships that we give have gotten tremendous feedback as a way of promoting the 4-Way Test.
Monday I was sitting with four of the Junior Rotarians and an item came up and I hear out of two of them ‘Is it the Truth, Is it Fair……..’ But you wouldn’t necessarily know that. So, as a retired educator, thank you for everything this club does and anything as small as you might think it is, has a tremendous ripple effect . So, that’s my point! Thank you!”
February 7 & 8 – Springbrook Middle School’s High School Musical – Bob Behnke announced that the public is invited to this hour to hour and a half performance in the Performance Arts Center which begins at 7pm.
February 9 – Share the Warmth – Nate Smith said that everything is in place to take our turn again to provide a full course meal that evening. He thanked Nathan Salazar and his wife (Executive Chef at SHU) for discounting the cost of the Mostaccioli they will be providing that evening. Thanks to all members who pinched in and came up with $130 to help underwrite this program and to Nate and Kathy for organizing and securing the additional items for that evening and to Susan and Theresa for volunteering to help on the 9th. Addition money left over will go towards helping with the cost of the meal the club will provide in April.
February 10 – Ribbon Cutting – Kathy Williams announced this event for WLEN’s new station – 96.5FM “The Cave” (all sports all the time).
February 21 - Taste of Lenawee – REMEMBER: President Nelson announced this event last week and was hopeful the club could get a table that evening. Tickets are available. Goes from 6:30pm-9:30pm at the Adrian Armory & Events Center. See President Nelson for more info.
March 6 - Walk for Warmth – Patty announced this event which will benefit the Community Action Agency (utility assistance) and is coined a ”Victory Lap” and held at Citizen’s Gas’ Blue Flame Room. You can make your donation from 10am-1pm there at that time. Patrons can also engage in virtual walks through FB. In the past Consumers has been able to match the amount raised but will not be able to this year.
March 12-14 – P.E.T.S. Conference – Yours Truly will be attending the annual President-Elect Training School at the Kalamazoo Radisson with the other 51 incoming club presidents for the 2020-21 year from District 6400. One of the highlights of the conference in addition to hearing from the new District Governor that year, Dr. Noel Jackson and about his initiatives for the coming year, will be to meet the new RI President, Holger Knaack, a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany.
May 15-17 – District Conference – President Nelson announced this event to take place in Sandusky at Kalahari. He and Yours Truly will be attending.
Mark Daniel Maloney, of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, is the new President of Rotary International for 2019-20. Maloney is a principal in the law firm of Blackburn, Maloney, and Schuppert LLC, with a focus on taxation, estate planning, and agricultural law. He represents large farming operations in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States, and has chaired the American Bar Association’s Committee on Agriculture in the section of taxation. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Alabama State Bar Association, and the Alabama Law Institute.