Features Below
  • Your Bracket Isn’t Ruined Yet!
  • Shoppers Needed!
  • Show Me Rotary – Well Represented with Plaza Rotarians
  • Rotary Cares – AKA Happy Bucks
  • Club Board Meeting Update 3/15/23
 
Connecting With Each Other
7:30 a.m.
Welcome – Presiding – Lisa Deatherage
 
Inspirational Moment – Bill Moran
Sergeant-At-Arms – Melynn Sight
Club Announcements
3 Minute Speech – A Guest
Program Introduction – Nancy Shawver
Club Program – Klassie Alcine, KC Common Good
8:30 a.m.
Adjourn With the Four-Way Test –“In Everything We Think, Say, and Do..."
 
Your bracket isn't ruined yet!
     Let's have some fun with the weirdest Final Four Lineup maybe in history, all to benefit our Shoes effort.  
     For $20, you can win 50% of the jackpot, with the remainder to be donated to buying more shoes.  It's this easy:
     Pick a perfect bracket from the three remaining games and be the closest to guessing the total number of points in the championship game and you're the winner.  If we have more than one winner who accurately predicts total points scored, the pot will be split accordingly.  If no one picks a perfect bracket, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Shoes.  
     Three ways to enter:
1.  Email Roger at roger.runner@com with your winners in Saturday's semi final games and your winner of the championship game Monday night, along with your estimate of total points scored in THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ONLY.  For example:  FAU/Miami/FAU  136 total points.  
2. Print out a sheet and bring it completed to Friday's meeting.
3.  I'll have sheets available Friday morning; simply take a minute and complete it on the spot.  
     Two ways to pay:
1. Venmo Roger at @Roger-Samuel
2.  Bring cash to the Friday meeting
Shoppers Needed
Kathy Kopack, one of the co-chairs for Shoes for Orphan Souls, would like to emphasize that we could use more shoppers to find/buy shoes.  We need about 600 shoes to meet our goal.  Members can shop, donate some of the cost or seek reimbursement, just contact Kathy to find out how much money is available for reimbursement.  Yesterday, we had about $900.  Kathy has asked the committee chairs with Happy Buck funds if they could donate $100 to $200 (or more) from their accounts.   Progress Continues!!
  • Club goal 1300
  • Individual Rotarian goal 5-10 pair new shoes/person
  • Report to Jeff Deatherage the total # of shoes you donate, jeffdeatherage@gmail.com
  • Bring shoes to a club meeting to give to Ralph Foiles for storage
  • Donations
    • Tax deductible:
      • Venmo to @PlazaRotaryFoundation
      • Address for sending tax-deductible donations via check:  Plaza Rotary Club of Kansas City Charitable Foundation, PO Box 30359, Kansas City, MO 64112
    • Venmo to Club is @KCPlazaRotary2021
    • Checks to Clubs sent to, Plaza Rotary Club, PO Box 30359, Kansas City, MO 64112
Show Me Rotary – Well Represented with Plaza Rotarians
The annual state-wide Club President-Elect training held in Jefferson City was well represented by Plaza Rotarians.  Club President-Elect Frank Bales was there receiving training and District Governor-Elect Randy Steinman was there presenting training and being a dignitary in-general.  But, speaking of dignitaries, Rotary International Director Elizabeth Usovicz was present delivering the opening keynote speech and Vice-Chair of the Rotary Foundation Board, Larry Lunsford was present to present the closing keynote speech.  Plaza Rotarians Aileen Murphy and Cassy Venters were there as members of the Show Me Rotary Council doing stage management and scripting for plenary sessions and curriculum design for District 6040 sessions on Foundation, Public Image and Membership.  Next year, at this same time, Lucy Betteridge and Ralph Foiles will be attending to receive training for the 2023-2024 Rotary year.
 
Rotary Cares – AKA Happy Bucks
Denise Holt was happy that her sister Liz and nephew (Liz's son) were at the meeting; Liz chimed in with $20 contribution of thanks to the club for all the work we do, the inspiration and for always making her feel so welcome. 
 
Terry Putney put up a happy buck in honor of Jeff Chapman and the K-State Wildcats, which had a fantastic game the night before in the NCAA tournament -- the first overtime game and a win to advance to the Elite Eight. Jeff Chapman thanked him for his sportsmanship but noted he wouldn't likely return the gesture for Terry's KU Jayhawks. 
 
The sergeant at arms noted something about "dignity, equality and fraternity," which prompted Dave Robinette to raise a happy buck to clarify the French phrase: Liberté, égalité, fraternité.  
 
Club Board Meeting Update 3/15/23
The Rotary Foundation Committee
  • We completed the “Products & Services Silent Auction” fundraiser for TRF on 2/24/23.    Club member participation was great and a total of $3,295.00 was contributed to TRF for the General Disaster Response fund, which currently is going towards Turkey / Syria earthquake relief efforts. 
  • One goal in the Strategic Plan is to have 75% of our members contribute to the Rotary Foundation in the 2023 / 2024 year.  One item to help facilitate meeting this goal (and accomplishing EREY status) is to increase our club members enrolled in Rotary Direct.  Currently our club enrollment in Rotary Direct is about 40%.  In March / April we plan to provide a one-page handout (and email attachment) on the process of enrollment and encourage a minimum of $10 / month per member.
Vocational Service
  • We had a very successful vocational visit to the KUMed Cancer Center and, specifically, the proton therapy site, with about 20 members and spouses in attendance. 
  • Our next vocational visit is likely to be to a new Black-owned brewery that will be in conjunction with the Justice Committee. 
  • Hopefully, the Kansas City Museum meets its declared deadline for reopening—the end of this month—and that we can visit there before the end of the Rotary year.
Community Service
  • Lisa Deatherage will complete the work needed to get our second district grant for the 2022-2023 club year, provision of instruments to low-income or limited resource students.
  • The club board voted to fund the Giving Grove $1,000 grant to purchase trees with $500 from the club budget and $500 request from the club foundation board.
  • The community service committee members that have worked with the Ahlmisha family are planning the exit strategy from assisting the family.
  • A connection will be made with the Parks Department for work in the Cancer Survivor’s Park for spring clean-up.
International Committee
  • The International Committee is focused on Shoes for the month of March and into April.  Shoes will be taken to the district pick-up point on the shoes caravan by the end of April.
Communications
  • 4 newsletters; 7 special focus emails, 5 of those related to the auction
  • Continued clean-up of website.
  • Recruited two special interest writers, Jerry Venters for the Refugee Family Project and Nancy Shawver for special materials for the Microloan project.  Materials to be distributed at Show Me Rotary and then available for other uses in the community.  A third special interest writer is needed for our Satellite Club – Veteran’s Focus club.
  • Tabled at club board meeting:  use of email lists