Spotlight 08-02-16

Posted by Richard Perlberg on Aug 03, 2016
 
PROGRAM: Kristina VanPutten represented the local Boy Scouts Council; she was introduced by Dennis Kalio.
 
PROGRAM: Kristina VanPutten represented the local Boy Scouts Council; she was introduced by Dennis Kalio.
GUESTS: Christine Utah, visiting Rotarian from Bristol, Va.
AUGUST Birthdays: Pam McConeghy, Brian Donovan, Katherine Lawrence-Copp, Jim Barnas, Sharon Zizka. Spouse birthdays: Susan Monet, Barry Burrell, DeAnn Donovan. Anniversaries: Mike and Peggi Bourke, 1 year; Ed Copp and Katherine Lawrence-Copp, 21 years; Piet and Jane Lindhout, 33 years; Mike and LuAnn Loy, 29 years; Frank and Tracy Mancuso, 6 years; Artie and Adrienne Knack, 7 years; Joe and Kim Leugers, 34 years; Criag Mincy and Carole Bullion-Mincy, 8 years; David and Beth Walker, 31 years. Rotary anniversaries: Piet Lindhout, 23 years; Melanie Moses, 29 years; David Plait, 27 years; Frank Mancuso, 5 years; Pam McConeghy, 12 years; Bill Markby, 9 years; Jeannie McMillan, 9 years.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
  • Sad news about the health status of Emil Engel who is being treated for leukemia at St. Joe’s in Ann Arbor.
  • Brian Donovan needs a head count for Day of Caring which is August 17. If we get the 25 volunteers we got last year, there will likely be two projects.
  • Nancy Johnson has free tickets for a Sunday night concert in Plymouth on behalf of Lost Voices, which helps at-risk and incarcerated youth.
  • Stan Shaffer needs a head count for Gleaners this Saturday.
  • Bill Anderson has one more week of selling tickets for the March of Dimes raffle of a big Ford 150.
  • Dirk DeWinkle has tickets for LeConcours de Livingston on Saturday.
  • Melanie Moses notes that husband George is headed to west Michigan for his 30th time participating in the Shoreline Bicycle Tour.
  • Mike Bourke’s mom was nominated by Mike’s father to be a Paul Harris fellow. It happened in Flint. Lots of Harris fellows in this family.
PROGRAM: Kristina Van Putten gave an update on scouting in Livingston County. The numbers are good, with retention levels above national average. There are nearly 1,500 youths involved in scouting in Livingston County: 875 Cub Scouts, 569 Boy Scouts, and 41 Venturers, which a high-adventure unit. Scouting works because of 656 volunteers who participate in Livingston. Last year, Livingston County saw 20 boys become Eagle Scouts, which involved 5500 hours of volunteer work to help the community. This year the number of Eagles has already reached 17. Dennis noted that Troop 350 (sponsored by Brighton Rotary) is about to see its 105th Eagle in the troop’s history. Jerry Dunneback’s grandson just became an Eagle in neighboring Oakland County.
There are many great stories about scouting in the county. Last year, ten Scouts and two leaders from Troop 312 in Pinckney went to Japan to attend the World Jamboree, which attracted 33,000 Scouts from 150 countries. Spencer Zach, an Eagle from our own Troop 350, received a National Medal of Merit for helping to save the life of a man who collapsed while Spencer was mowing the lawn. Hunger Derring, another Eagle from the county, received a National Certificate of Merit, for coming to the aid of a man in a car accident. And our own Dennis Kalio received a Silver Beaver award for his outstanding volunteerism in Scouting.
Last year, young boys in Livingston became acquainted with Cub Scouts thanks to a project in line with the Hooked on Scouting theme. Participants were given a fishing pole and then given fishing lessons at Bishop Lake. This year’s theme is Blast into Scouting and there will be a big recruiting event again this fall.
Brighton Rotary’s involvement with Scouting has deep roots. In 1918, Rotary was the first service club to adopt the Boy Scouts. Kristina says, “The best part of Scouting is watching them grow and triumph.”
50-50. The pot has grown to nearly 900 bucks, and it will get higher next week as Larry Pfeil, Maribeth Regnier and Joe Bottum liberated three cards, but not was the Ace of Spades.