Thanks to John Goodman, Tom Crampton, Mark Schwartz, Ginger Virkler, Carol Hartley, Madonna & Jeff Bennett, Chris Corrigan and Sue Shangle for manning the water station at mile 7 on the Crim course at the 38th annual Crim Festival of Races (8/23/14).  A fun time was had by all!!!

 

Pam Bailey, Fund Development/Public Relations Director at the YMCA was inducted on August 13, 2014 as a new member!  Jack Stock introduced Pam and President Mike Moorman did her induction and provided her with her member pin and Rotary information packet!  Pam is married to Zack and they live in the Mott Park area.  Glad to have you on board Pam!

Past President Doug Stoddard was recognized by Assistant District Governor Rob Jewell (Area 7) for his leadership this past year.  ADG Rob presented Doug a certificate plus a special Rotary pin from Past District Governor Don Moore.  CONGRATULATIONS Doug!

Club members used their creative abilities to design some centerpieces for the club's annual progressive dinner on August 8th.  The theme this year for the dinner is "Rotary Roundup".  Members will vote on their favorite centerpiece at the dinner on August 8th!

Check on MORE photos from today's meeting under PHOTO ALBUMS - right side of this page - click on Family of Rotary - July 30, 2014!

Congrats to Erin Lamb and Connie Peters on some career changes.  Connie has accepted the position of Director of Development for the Boys and Girls Club of Flint and Erin has opened ER Sports and Leadership.

Erin's new company's mission is to teach student athletes the skills they need to be empowered on and off the field by blending professional leadership training with sports-focused character development. 

Services:
Year-long student athlete leadership training for high school sophomores and juniors that includes:
- 7 of 9 group sessions
- Two service projects
-Skills training
- Mentoring sessions (with an athlete mentor)
- One parent/athlete workshop

Three-part team workshops that include:
- One-on-one coach conversation
- Practice observation
-Customized team-building workshop

Leadership and program development
- Group facilitation
- Grant writing
- Workshop coordination
For more information - 586.801.0841

info@ersportsandleadership.com

www.ersportsandleadership.com

Congratulations to Connie and Erin on their career changes!

Incoming President Mike Moorman shared the club's goals this morning to all members.  Past President Jeff Bennett (and the club's Charter President) did a great job inducting Mike!  Many thanks again to outgoing President Doug Stoddard for his leadership this past year!  Photo - l to r - Jeff Bennett, Mike Moorman, Doug Stoddard

Incoming President Mike Moorman presents outgoing President Doug Stoddard a plaque for his year of service.  Thanks Doug for serving at the helm this past year!

The Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise has awarded grants totaling $4,500 to 14 non-profit organizations serving children in Genesee County.

Congratulations to John Sundwick on becoming a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.  Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition is given to members who donate over $1000 to the Rotary Foundation.

Photo - John Sundwick awarded multiple Paul Harris Fellow pin from President Doug Stoddard

May 14, 2014 was a special day at Sunrise Rotary!  Three scholarships were awarded to Genesee County graduating seniors.  The recipients were - Kaylee Green, Bentley High School - awarded the Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Scholarship;  Whitney Berry, EA Johnson Memorial High School in Mt. Morris - awarded the Owen Fisher Memorial Scholarship, and Eriatta Bates, Mott Middle College High School - awarded the Gloria DeHart Memorial Scholarship.  All 3 recipients received a $1000 scholarship. 

Each will be attending area colleges, and have grade point averages above 3.5, while performing community service throughout their high school careers.

Great job by Karl Olmsted in leading us in this fun team activity!

Rotarians, friends and family members will resume our painting project at the house at 525 Mason Street (at the corner of University Avenue) in Flint.  If you have a nylon paint brush - bring it; if you have an empty gallon container - bring that too!  Remember to wear sturdy shoes and bring bottled water (if you need a refresh during the painting process).  Time of painting - 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.  After we finish, Jack Stock has invited all volunteers to a post-painting "party" at Kettering University.  Any questions on the post painting "party", contact Jack Stock - jstock@kettering.edu or painting questions - Bruce Bradley - tapman88471@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Last month, we celebrated literacy.  This month, we put our reading skills to the test.  Everything in our lives depends on consistent, accurate and constant communication.  We receive Rotary communications regularly; through our weekly meetings, club emails, club website, district website and Rotary International.    

As part of your membership in our club, you receive the monthly magazine, The Rotarian.  This publication offers many insightful stories about Rotary projects and clubs throughout the world.  Over 1.2 million Rotarians are reading the same magazine in 23 languages. 

Please take the time each month to read through your issue.  I’m confident you will be impressed with the many activities our fellow Rotarians are involved in, as well as how we are able to assist people who do not have the same resources we have available.  If we want to promote Rotary to others, we need to be well informed! 

When you are doing reading your issue of The Rotarian, feel free to pass it along to a friend who might be interested in joining our club.

https://www.rotary.org/en/southeast-asia-declared-polio-free

Today is the last day that Burton Rotarians are in Mexico for the annual Avoidable Blindness Project.  See if you can pick out the Sunrise member in the photo who is on that trip!

Due to the weather, the club meeting for January 8th, is cancelled.  We will resume our meetings next Wednesday, January 15th!

Attendance

Attending weekly club meetings allows members to enjoy fellowship, enrich their professional and personal knowledge, and meet other business leaders in their community. If members miss a meeting of their own club, they’re encouraged to expand their Rotary horizons by attending a meeting of any other Rotary club.

Tuesday                 12 noon               Grand Blanc           Little Joe's - G Blanc
                             7:15 am               Fenton                   Spring Meadows
                             7:30 am               Clio                        Rodger’s Lodge
                             12:00 pm             Genesee Valley        Redwood Lodge
                             12:10 pm              Lapeer                   Lapeer Co Center Bldg
                             6:30 pm               Columbiaville           Rotary Bldg

Wednesday            7:00 am                Flint Sunrise            RTC Building - Mott Community College - Rm 1301

Thursday               7:00 am                Flushing                  Sorrento’s Food & Spirits
                            12:10 pm              Burton                     IMA Brookwood

Friday                   12:00 pm               Flint                       First Presbyterian Church

A club member must attend or make up at least 50 percent of regular club meetings in each half of the year (though some clubs may have more stringent requirements). Any missed meetings must be made up within 14 days of a regular meeting. If traveling, club members are encouraged to visit clubs in the new area to make up a missed meeting.   If you do a make-up at another club, the secretary or treasurer should give (if not ask for one) you a "completed make-up card" which you then turn into our Secretary Joe Deitering to receive credit for the make-up.

Check the Official Directory or use the Club Locator to get meeting and contact information. Be sure to call or e-mail before you show up for a meeting (if the location is out of the area).

For more information on Rotary basics and membership visit Rotary International's website at www.rotary.org or visiting district 6330’s website by clicking the “district site” button at the top of our club’s home page at www.flintsunrise.org.

Al Tucker, Rotary Foundation Chair reported that Sunrise Rotarian contributions for the year totaled $3,407.  Twenty-two members contributed $100 or more for the year. 

In addition, in June, 2014 Al will be sending in the proceeds from the 50/50 and fines for the Rotary fiscal year (7/1/13 to 6/30/14).  He estimates that amount to be $1,700 bringing our total giving to over $5,000 in one Rotary year. 

An admirable contribution from a club our size!!  Thanks to all who contributed!

         

Rotary International Monthly Themes..

  

As winter weather hits, please make sure and check ABC 12 on Wednesday mornings before you hit the road for the Skill Center.  You can check ABC 12 online and click on "School Closings" to see if the Genesee Intermediate School District is closed. 

The following officers and board members were elected at the Wed., November 20th meeting (for the 2014-2015 Rotary year):

President- Mike Moorman

President Elect - Erin Lamb

Vice President - Madonna Bennett

Treasurer - Al Tucker/Mark Schwartz

Board Members - Dawn Crichton, Ashoka Rao, Jack Stock, Ginger Virkler

Past President - Doug Stoddard

 

These officers and board members will begin their 1 year term of office on July 1, 2014.

All Sunrise members are expected to donate at least $100 annually to the Rotary Foundation.  Members can donate on a weekly basis, upon check-in at each club meeting, make a 1 time donation before the end of the year via check or cash to the Rotary Foundation (and give the check to Al Tucker), or go directly to www.rotary.org and make your donation and pay by credit card.  If you are making your donation at www.rotary.org, please notify Al Tucker so you can get credit on our club's report.

A GREAT START TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON AT WHALEY HISTORICAL HOME!!!

We will be having our 7:00 am Wednesday, December 4 weekly meeting at the Whaley Historical House, 642 E. Kearsley Street, Flint.  We WILL NOT meet at Sarvis that day.

The house will be decorated for the holidays so it should be a very festive gathering spot.  Samantha, the Executive Director, will be our host and she will provide a historical overview of the house, then members will be free to tour the house.  Park either behind the house or directly beside in the assisted living center parking lot (or even across the street in front of THA Architects).  Breakfast will be provided by Panera Bread that morning by your hosts Karl & Ginger.

 

 

 

 

Danielle Brown, Director, Christ Enrichment Center, was inducted into the club by President Doug on Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Fall Fitness Challenge - Greater Flint Health Coalition

 

"Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club" is registered in the small business division to participate in the 1 month (October 1-October 30) fall fitness challenge, facilitated by the Greater Flint Health Coalition, and sponsored by ABC 12 and Healthplus. 

The challenge begins October 1, when you begin logging your activity at www.commit2fit.com (note - if you have not participated in the past, you will most likely need to set up a user name/password in order to log your activity).  The website should walk you through how to set up a user name and password.  Once you are logged in, you should be able to locate our club name, and begin tracking your activity on a daily basis. 

If you have any problems either logging in, or setting up a user name and password, contact Tony Cuttitta, Program Manager at 810-232-2228. 

All types of activity counts!  The GOAL is 30 minutes of physical activity per day per member for one month.

 

Let's all have fun, get some daily activity and see if we can beat the rest of the area Rotary clubs! 

Check out the video on the upcoming challenge at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8YVyXWP2po 

 

District Governor Don Moore addressed the club on Wednesday, September 4 2013.  Don hails from Walkerton, Ontario and has chaired the District Youth Exchange program for many years, prior to taking the nod to become District Governor.  Every year the current District Governor visits all 61 clubs in District 6330, at least once.  DG Don stressed the need to always be on the look out for potential new members, ones who have an interest in community service and have the potential to become an active member in the club.  Following the club meeting DG Don met with the Club Officers & Board members to review the club plan for the year.

DG Don encourages every member to take part in the District Governor's "Engage Rotary" Challenge. This is every Rotarian's chance to become engaged in local and district Rotary activities. The more you get involved in Rotary, the more return you get from knowing that you have helped make this a better world to live in.

To download the challenge requirements, visit the club's website: www.flintsunrise.org and click on the link in the download section on the right side of the home page.

Sunrise Rotarians, friends and family members once again manned the 7 mile water station at the Crim Festival of Races.  It was estimated that over 7,000 cups of water were handed out at this station.  Thanks to all who helped at this very early morning (6 am - the last walker came through)!

Friday, August 2, 2013 is the date for our club's progressive dinner.  John Walter and Connie Peters will be our stops for this year's progressive dinner.  Both live in Grand Blanc.  Your spouse or a guest are invited to attend!!  

Starting times - 6:00 pm John Walter's home & 7:15 pm - depart John's house for Connie Peter's home.

Don't forget to bring the food item you signed up for!!!

 

 

Congratulations to John Goodman who was re-installed as our newest member of Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary!  As a previous member, John undertands the important roll Rotary plays in our community.  John's return is a credit to his dedication to our club!  He is a CPA employed at a firm in Owosso and resides with his family in Grand Blanc.

John was installed at the March 27 meeting by our current club president Jim Murdock and past president Jeff Bennett.

Welcome back John!!

 

The following item was printed in the March 2013 edition of District 6330's publication The Bridge....

We are sorry to report the passing of PDG Dick Cordell (1984 – 1985). Dick accomplished much for our district. He extended Rotary and strengthened clubs. He was a warm, sincere and a welcome mentor for many. Dick had a wealth of valuable information on the history of our district and knowledge of RI. He served the district in many capacities after his term. He was generous with his time and exhibited a caring concern for others – it was infectious.
Dick, a devoted Rotarian, was a long time secretary of the Rotary club of Flint Mi.
A memorial service is planned for April 20, -10:00 am at the First Presbyterian Church, 746 S. Saginaw St. Flint, MI

For those who knew Dick, he was one in a million and will be sadly missed.  Please keep Dick's family in your prayers.

Rotary District 6330 (includes portions of Michigan and Ontario) has announced the selection of the Group Study Exchange Team who will travel to Cheongyang, South Korea from April 4^th until May 3^rd  in 2013.

The Rotary Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a Rotary International sponsored and paid cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for business and professional men and women in the initial years of their careers.  The program is designed to develop professional and leadership skills among young people to better prepare them to address the needs of their communities and an increasingly global workplace.

The team is made up of one Rotarian Team Leader and 4 non-Rotarian young professionals. 

The Team Leader will be Tanya Wolff from the Rotary Club of Sarnia.  Tanya was District Governor in 2009/2010, is a world traveler for overseas missions as well as an experienced mountain climber and fund raiser for Rotary and other charities.

The Team Members represent 4 distinct vocations and will be highly intelligent and enthusiastic representatives of Michigan and Ontario.

Colin Easton, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Walkerton, is a Food and Beverage Manager at Crabby Joe’s Tap and Grill in Hanover, Ontario and spent a year teaching English in South Korea in 2005.

Erika Engel, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Thornbury-Clarksburg, is a journalist and photographer for the Blue Mountain Courier-Herald in Meaford, Ontario and hopes one day to be a foreign correspondent in a conflict zone.

Kyle McCree, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Flint, is a manager for community outreach programs for the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce and uses his banking background to support economic development opportunities.

Natalie Pruett, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Flint, has her own Community Planning Consultant firm that fosters innovative land re-use, urban agriculture opportunities, urban living improvement and neighborhood involvement.

This dynamic team will represent the ideals of Rotary, the leadership and knowledge base of Michigan and Ontario and the cultures of their hometowns in this life changing experience known as Rotary Group Study Exchange.

Please note this week's Rotary meeting will be held at the MTA Transit station located at 251 E. Second Street in downtown Flint. 

Our guest speaker will be MTA General Manager Ed Benning.  Following his presentation, Mr. Benning is inviting everyone to ride the new hydrogen fuel cell bus.

The meeting will be held in the Memorial/Rosa Park Conference Room located just inside the Harrison and Second Streets entrance. The gate will be open if anyone would like to park in the MTA secured lot located directly south of the building. 

As always, breakfast will be provided at 7:00 am with our meeting and guest presentation immediately following.

See you on Wednesday!
 

John Walter announces the 2012 annual golf outing winners and thanks everyone for their support!!

A big thank-you to all Rotarians who attended the October 8, 2011 "Service Above Self" Event at the Riverfront Conference Center.  Special thanks to Dawn Crichton (and hubby Ron) for taking photos of all the recipients; Stacy Merrill for designing an awesome powerpoint presentation; Karl Olmsted for securing Marc Jacobson from ABC 12 and for also making our fabulous parking sign, and to Ginger Virkler and Carol Hartley for co-chairing the event.  Sunrise Rotary had 22 in attendance, plus our award recipient Ridgway White and his wife Shannon!!  We had the largest turnout from any club in Area 7!!

As a new Rotary year approaches (on July 1), it's a good time to revisit our responsibilities as club members.  Below is a good article posted on the Rotary website - www.rotary.org. 

 

From - www.rotary.org

The club is the cornerstone of Rotary, where the most meaningful work is carried out. All effective Rotary clubs are responsible for four key elements: sustaining or increasing their membership base , participating in service projects that benefit their own community and those in other countries, supporting The Rotary Foundation of RI financially and through program participation, and developing leaders capable of serving in Rotary beyond the club level.

What Rotarians get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put into it. Many membership requirements are designed to help members become and remain active participants in their clubs and enjoy their Rotary experience.

Service

All Rotary clubs share a key mission: to serve their community and those in need throughout the world. By participating in club service projects , members learn about their club's involvement in local and international projects and can volunteer their time and talents where they are most needed.

Membership recruitment and retention

To keep clubs strong, every Rotarian must share the responsibility of bringing new people into Rotary. Even new members can bring guests to meetings or invite them to participate in a service project. The value of Rotary speaks for itself, and the best way to spark the interest of potential members is by letting them experience fellowship and service firsthand.

Keeping members interested in Rotary is another responsibility. Good club fellowship, early involvement in service projects and involvement in club operations are some of the best ways to sustain the club's membership.

The ideal composition of a Rotary club reflects the community's demographics, including professions, gender, age, and ethnicity. Such diversity enriches every aspect of the club's fellowship and service.

Attendance

Attending club meetings allows members to enjoy their club's fellowship, enrich their professional and personal knowledge, and meet other business leaders in their community. Club meeting times vary to accommodate members' family and professional commitments. Some clubs meet at lunchtime, while others meet in the early morning, after work, or in the evening.

Rotary policy requires members to attend at least 50 percent of club meetings in each half of the year. If members miss their own club's meeting, they're encouraged to expand their Rotary horizons by attending make-up meetings at any Rotary club in the world — a practice that guarantees Rotarians a warm welcome in communities around the globe. Find meeting places and times in the Official Directory or through the online Club Locator .

Rotarians can also make up meetings by participating in a club service project or by attending a club board meeting, a Rotaract or Interact club meeting, or an online meeting at one of several Rotary e-clubs .

Jeff Bennett, Karl Olmsted and Jamie Gaskin roasted President Stacy at last week's meeting.  Jeff did a "Bill Clinton??? or was it
"Mike Huckabee??" imitation at last week's meeting when he provided a humorous review of Stacy's presidential year.  Karl shared his final Secretary's report and stated that he was giving Stacy a score of 110% for his outstanding job on going "above and beyond" this past year. 

Jamie finished the presentation by showing a comical "Jib Jab" video of Stacy resuming his downhill ski racing after finishing his presidency.  Note - I talked to Stacy after the meeting and he truly does want to get back into downhill racing - very cool!

Next week (June 29th) is the official "changing of the guard".  Jamie encouraged all members to bring a $5 donation to give to the Rotary Foundation in Stacy's name, or to bring something from your house that needs to be put back together (by Stacythe Engineer). 

At the conclusion of the presentation, Jamie presented Stacy with a HUGE gavel, inscribed with his name, Rotary year and Rotary logo. 

Congratulations Stacy on a great year as President!

 

 

 

 

Davin Torre, Director, Flint Institute of Music, School of Performing Arts, shared a lot last week about the school.  Founded in 1917 by J. Dallas Dort, the school has grown to 3500 students and is the largest community school of arts in Michigan and the 8th largest in the United States.  Students come from 16 counties around Michigan and 45% of the students are from Flint.  The student body is comprised of 80% music students and 20% dance students.

Over the years, the Flint School of Performing Arts has instituted many outreach programs with various organizations throughout Genesee County.  One of the unique outreach programs is "Super Saturdays".  Through the outreach programs, children are identified who have "spark" and a real enthusiasm for music or dance.  They are invited to join "Super Saturdays" and if they complete 1 year in the program, they are eligible for tuition free to continue their education at the school.

Some of the other programs offered include "Super Strings" - for stringed instrument learning, and of course the widely popular Flint Youth Symphony,which is now 65 years old.  There are 75 musicians in the Flint Youth Symphony, representing 26 different zipcodes.  Members are between the ages of 11-20 years old and have traveled to other countries to put on performances.

Sunrise Rotary did provide a grant to the school this year (as a result of last year's golf outing), to their "Seeing Stars" program, a program that provides tuition assistance to "budding" musicians.

Upon conclusion of Davin's overview of the school, one of the students did an outstanding vocal performance for our club. 

For more information go to www.thefim.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All GM facilities in Genesee County will have an open house to the community on Thursday, June 23, 2011.  Over 1000 people have signed up to attend a plant tour so far - it's not too late to register.  For more information go to www.gmplantnews.com.

Harold Grant provided a great overview of the rail industry in Michigan last week, particularly the "Haywire" line in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Michigan has 3600 miles of track carrying 120 million tons of freight worth $162 billion annually.  In 1830 the first railroad was chartered in Michigan - the Detroit & Pontiac Railway Company.  Since 1900, over 450 railroads have operated in Michigan.  Railways were used heavily in the Upper Peninsula for logging, mining and transportation purposes.  Beginning in the late 1900's, the railroads were in decline and by the 1950's, passenger traffic had all but disappeared in Michigan.

The Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad, aka,  the "Haywire" operated in the Upper Peninsula.  It was called the Haywire because it was held together by wires from bales of hay.  There were lots of logging camps along the Haywire and once the logging industry declined, so did the need for the Haywire,  The route went from Shingleton to Manistee and was started in 1909 with capitalization of $250,000.  The last tracks of the Haywire were removed in 1968, but the path is still used as a snowmobile trail.

Thanks Harold for a very informative and interesting presentation! 

 

 

Friends,

Just a reminder that we need everyone's help to make this year's golf outing a success.   Because of the difficult economic condition, it will require major effort by every member of the club to make this project successful again this year. Who do you know that would be interested in supporting our effort by becoming a corporate sponsor for $675 or tee & green sponsor for $150?

By supporting the Rotary golf outing, you are providing our local youth opportunities they may not have had the chance to experience without our support.

So take a moment to give some thought of who you want to contact and then plan for time to contact them. If you've sent out the golf contact letter that was available for everyone to use, then please take a moment to follow up with a phone call to get them to commit. The letter may be downloaded from the Sunrise Rotary website, as well as the brochure.

Please be sure to reivew the list that was e-mailed last week listing previous sponsors and the members who were responsible for contacting them in the past. If your name is on the list to contact someone, please give them a call or stop by to see them. If your name is not on the list but you know someone at these companies, please don't hesitate to make the contact. If your name is not on the list, feel free to contact anyone you feel may be interested in supporting our outing.

Please, none of us can do this alone. We need your help!

Yours in Rotary,


Jeffrey Bennett
Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise

 

Golf is a game in which you yell "fore"... shoot six... and write down five. 
~ Paul Harvey

It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.
~ Hank Aaron

I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone's golf game. It is called an eraser.
~ Arnold Palmer

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing.
~ Phyllis Diller

Golf is a game where the ball always lies poorly and the player always lies well.
~ Anonymous

I had a wonderful experience on the golf course today. I had a hole in nothing. Missed the ball and sank the divot. 
~ Don Adams

 I tried real hard to play golf, and I was so bad at it they would have to check me for ticks at the end of the round because I'd spent about half the day in the woods.
~ Jeff Foxworthy 

Someone once told me that there is more to life than golf. I think it was my ex-wife.
~ Bruce Lansky

The older I get, the better I used to be. 
~ Lee Trevino

Golf's three ugliest words: still your shot.
~ Dave Marr

The older you get the stronger the wind gets... and it's always in your face. 
~ Jack Nicklaus

Never bet with anyone you meet on the first tee who has a deep suntan, a 1-iron in his bag, and squinty eyes. 
~ Dave Marr

Golf is a better game played downhill. 
~ Jack Nicklaus

 I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead.
~ Bob Hope

It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it. 
~ Jack Nicklaus

The proper score for a businessman golfer is 90. If he is better than that he is neglecting his business. If he's worse, he's neglecting his golf.
~ St Andrews Rotary Club Member

Nothing goes down slower than a golf handicap.
~ Bobby Nichols

You know you're on the Senior Tour when your back goes out more than you do.
~ Bob Bruce

 

July 27 - John Walter - Sgt and Harold Grant - Prayer

 Contact Dawn Crichton - dawncrichton@yahoo.com - 810-629-3812 if you have any questions or if you can fill an opening. 

 

-

Anyone who would like to meet the members of this year's GSE (Group Study Exchange) team from Japan are welcome to attend the Fenton Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday, May 10 at 7:00 am at Spring Meadows Golf Club, 1129 Ripley, Linden or the Flushing Rotary Club meeting this Thursday, May 12 at 7:00 am at Sorrento's Restuarant at G6395 W. Pierson Road, Flushing.  The team will not be able to attend a Sunrise Rotary meeting this year, so don't miss out on the opportunity to attend the Fenton or Flushing meeting to visit with our friends from Japan.

Steve Wilson returned to his hometown of Flint in early 2008 to become the executive director of the Ruth Mott Foundation.  After 15 years as president of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau, he was thrilled when he received an offer to return to the city that raised him.  He was excited with the opportunity to work with the community regarding new approaches and fresh ideas to keep Flint moving forward.

Steve told the history of the friendships shared by locals Dallas Dort, Billy Durant and the Mott family, all of whom also shared a deep love for their community.   At that time, no one knew the significant impact they would make on the future of Flint!

The Ruth Mott Foundation established its grant making programs in January 2001 with four trustees and two staff members, and just two months later, rolled out its first docket of grants: $1,291,014 was paid to 32 organizations.

In the past five years, the Foundation has grown to more than 26 staff and 240 volunteers.  Acting as mentor, partner, and catalyst, the Foundation promotes community vitality through support of programs focused on arts, beautification and health promotion. In 2005 its funding commitment for programs was $6.5 million.

Visit www.ruthmorrfoundation.org to learn more about the Ruth Mott Foundation! 

You won't want to miss this week's meeting - Steve Wilson, Executive Director, Ruth Mott Foundation!

What will Rotary be like in the future? Find out what average Rotarians had to say about this question and others in Rotary Minute.

Watch Rotary Minute

John Knickerbocker, Development Director, Carriage Town Ministries, provided an extensive overview at last week's meeting of the non-profit's mission and involvement in the Flint community.

The organization was started in 1950 and was originally named the "City Rescue Mission of Flint", whose sole purpose was to provide shelter and food for men from 5 pm through 7 am the following day.  Since 1987, the organization has been located on Garland Street in Flint, serving on average about 60 men per day.  In 1992 the organization expanded, purchased some additional nearby buildings, and added services to women.  Today the organization has capacity for 115 beds.

All individuals who stay at the shelter must put together a personal success plan which contains the following components:

1.  Knowing God

2.  Work or Service Component

3.  Education

The organization has recently purchased four more buildings and plans to expand in order to serve the increasing needs of the homeless.

For more information, visit www.carriagetown.org.

Rotary clubs make changes to attract younger members

When Rotarians in Walnut Creek, California, USA, found it difficult to attract young professionals to the area's morning and afternoon clubs, they set out to establish a new club that would accommodate busy, on-the-go schedules. 

The Rotary Club of Diablo View (Walnut Creek), chartered in 2009, meets in a local brewery at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday. Club president Jennifer Beeman says the club sets aside time each week for socializing before turning to club business, and that the relaxed atmosphere appeals to younger members.  

Beeman was only 24 years old when she became a charter member of the club, and she's now one of the youngest female club presidents in Rotary. The club has 26 members, 90 percent of them between the ages of 25 and 40.

"Because we have younger members, our attitude is different. People have told us how refreshing it is to have young faces behind Rotary," Beeman says.

She says the club carries out many projects in the community so that members have an opportunity to do hands-on service. Every month, for instance, it plans an outdoor project, such as cleaning up nature trails. Younger Rotarians usually have more time than cash at their disposal, she says, so they tend to contribute by volunteering.

The club recruits new members through social media like Twitter and Facebook, and it has a mentoring program to help with retention. All new members are assigned a mentor, who spends extra time with them outside regular meetings.

"The modifications we've made have helped our club appeal to younger professionals and retain them," Beeman says. "They've created a high-energy club."

Beeman says clubs must be willing to make a few changes to attract younger members. Here are some examples of what other clubs are doing:

• Through a student membership initiative, the Rotary Club of Hope Island, Queensland, Australia, invites college-age students to meetings and subsidizes the cost to bring a youthful perspective to the club. 
• The Rotary Club of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, has created the 25 Club, a club-within-a-club. The members hold additional meetings, sponsor regular social gatherings, and carry out a number of service projects. The inductees are generally younger, and after a year, they transition into the parent Rotary club. 
• The Rotary Club of Crawley, Western Australia, Australia, started a mentoring program that helps new members transition into the club. The club's average age is now in the 30s.
• The Rotary Club of Bricktown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, meets in a tavern. First-time guests are treated to two free beverages, compliments of the club. Read more.
• The Rotary Club of South Metro Minneapolis Evenings, Minnesota, USA, meets in the evenings and lowers costs by not having meals. The third meeting of the month is a happy hour/networking event at different locations in the city. The fourth meeting is a volunteering opportunity. Read more.

Learn more about membership resources

Wednesday, June 1 - You won't want to miss this meeting!  Stacy Merrill will host the June 1 Sunrise Rotary meeting at General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales (previously Service Parts Operations) at 6200 Grand Point Blvd. just east of I-475 on Hill Road in Grand Blanc.  The NA vice president of GM is scheduled to speak to our group.  Please be sure to arrive at 6:50 am so that we can pass through security as a group.

Friday, July 15- Annual Sunrise Rotary Golf Scramble - Sugarbush Golf Course, Davison, MI.  Jeff Bennett is this year's Chairperson of the event.  As the season winds down now is a GREAT time to get some bargains on your 4 door prize donations (valued at $20/each) that each member is asked to secure for next year's outing.

District News

June 2 - June 5 - Blue Mountain Resort, The Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada. For more information, go to http://www.tcrotary.ca/2011/. 

The Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise seeks to support the development and retention of community youth who demonstrate leadership qualities and community involvement. The club awarded 3 area graduating seniors with $1,000 scholarships at the June 19^{th 2013} meeting:

Eli Ward graduated from Davison high School where he was involved with band and other musical programs. He has volunteered over 140 hours with various local charities. He will be attending Kettering University to study Bio Chemistry and will be attending medical school in the future.

Trevor Gaby graduated from Bentley High School where he played football as well as volunteering his time with The Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, and youth group mission trips. He will be attending Mott Community College to receive an Associate in Computer Aid and Design, then transferring to a 4year school to study Mechanical Engineering.

D’Asia Jackson graduated from Beecher High School as number 2 in her class where she was involved with volleyball, softball, and cheerleading.  She has volunteered at the North End Soup Kitchen and youth retreats. She enjoys helping others and will be attending Mott Community College to study Respiratory Therapy.

By creating an environment that focuses on positive change and growth, Whaley Children’s Center is a source of hope, care, and treatment to Michigan’s abused, neglected, and at risk children and families. Currently the center has about 48 children between the ages of 5-17 with the average age of 10. The campus has a variety of residences based on the child’s needs. Local clubs have helped with the housing such as the Optimist, Kiwanis, and Rotary clubs, as well as other sponsors.

The children will learn basic life skills and are able to feel safe and protected from their past experiences by the fully trained and dedicated staff who work around the clock to keep their mission alive. The staff will teach them independent living skills; help them develop personal responsibilities in understanding their own personal life situations and to empower them to become successful leaders.  Once the child has a better understanding of their situations and not every adult will let them down they will be set up with a foster family.

For more information visit www.whaleychildren.org or call 810-234-3603.

Harold Grant talked to the club about model trains and the Lionel Company. Founder Joshua Lionel Cowen designed his first train, the Electric Express, not as a toy, but as an eye-catching display for stores. The ideas and concept soon took off in the early 1900’s.

Harold explained the differences between the different types of model trains and tracks, along with stories of failure and success of the company and hobby.

For more information contact Harold.

Friday, August 2 - Progressive Dinner!!!

President Stacy recognized Gloria DeHart last week for her outstanding job as Speaker Chair this past year.  Securing weekly speakers is a very challenging job and can be the "hook" that many times gets members to a weekly meeting.  Gloria did a great job in providing a diversity of speakers, ranging from business topics, non-profits, visits to area businesses and Rotary topics this past year.  Congratulations Gloria on a job well done!  Dawn Crichton will take over this responsibility in the new Rotary year, which begins on July 1.  If you have any topics or speakers that you think would be of interest to our members, please contact Dawn at dawncrichton@yahoo.com. 

Our very own Harold Grant will be our speaker this Wednesday, June 8.  His topic - "Trains".

Mike Heberling did a great job in his presentation about Pearl Harbor and the connection to Michigan at last week's meeting.  He provided an extensive recap of activities leading up to the attack, as well as a detailed overview of the United States arsenal, and the resulting destruction.

Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese Imperial Navy, at approximately 8:00 A.M., Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. The surprise attack had been conceived by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. The strking force of 353 Japanese aircraft was led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. There had been no formal declaration of war.

Approximately 100 ships of the U.S. Navy were present that morning, consisting of battleships, destroyers, cruisers and various support ships.

One of the battleships, the USS Arizona (which was commissioned in 1916), had 1440 people on board on the day of the attack on December 7, 1941; 874 still remain entombed in the ship today.  The Arizona had 9 individual brothers on board, one set of brothers from Michigan (Czarncecki) and also a father and son.  The USS Oklahoma also had several Michiganders on board.

All in all, a very enlightening overview of one of America's deadly attacks and a presentation you wouldn't want to have missed!

PS - Check out Mike and Stacy's photo regarding today's presentation (on home page - click on photo albums)!

Erin Lamb of the CrimFit Youth Program shared information about the many ways this program is reaching out into youth of our community to educate and encourage them to adapt positive lifestyles.   

Erin explained the PE-Nut (Physical Education and Nutrition Working Together) program, which is designed to teach low-income children the great benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The CrimFit Youth Physical Activity Program keeps kids connected to the Crim during the school year while making fitness a part of their everyday curriculum to enhance their overall well being. This program teaches students how fun and easy it is to be physically active, regardless of their interests. Students earn points for every physical activity they participate in during the day. From walking before school to playing basketball to marching in a band, all activities count toward being healthy and fit.

The entire family can benefit from the many programs provided through the Crim Foundation: CrimFit Mileage Clubs, Activity Clubs, Neighborhood Clubs, Teddy Bear Trot, Crim Kids Classic along with the PE-Nut program all support the mission of this wonderful organization, "Cultivating Fitness as a Community and Family Value."  And of course, the folks at the Crim are continually researching opportunities to enhance and expand their current programs.

For more information or to get involved in this program, please contact The Crim Fitness Foundation at 810-235-3396 or visit their web site at www.crim.org.

 

You can now search for a Rotary club with RI's free iPhone app. In the Apple app store it's called the Rotary Club Locator from Rotary International. The app also will soon be offered for Android phones. 

If you have questions or feedback, please let RI know by e-mailing the Contact Center at contact.center@rotary.org.

In RI President Ray Klinginsmith's April message,  he says that the fifth Avenue of Service's "purpose and effect is to focus more attention on the Rotary programs for youth and young adults. And adding the fifth Avenue of Service "will facilitate our quest to make the youth and young adult programs even Bigger, Better, and Bolder in the future -- and to recruit even more of the participants into Rotary membership."

http://www.mlive.com/living/flint/index.ssf/2011/03/meet_your_neighbor_jeffrey_ben.html

Rotarians and Rotary Foundation alumni have been finding creative ways to support recovery efforts in areas of Japan devastated by the massive earthquake and tsunami. Read more
Learn about the Rotary Japan Disaster Recovery Fund
Donate online

Ralph Jared, Occupational Therapist, Flint Community Schools provided a short video on the "Exer Bugs" that our club sponsored in 2010, as a result of a grant request Jared submitted.  Ralph provided a "thank you" banner, signed by the children, as their token of appreciation.

Ron Rolak, Director, Atwood Stadium gave a very interesting and historical overview of the stadium (located on University Boulevard in Flint).  The stadium was named after the Atwood family who had a lumber business located on Moon Island, on the Flint river.  The business was started by William Atwood and upon his death was taken over by his son Edwin.  Edwin had little interest in the business and let the property deteriorate.  The site and the property where Atwood sits today became a dump, where people would put their trash.  The river between Moon Island soon filled up with trash and in 1917, 5,000 volunteers came together to clean up the area. 

Atwood Stadium was eventually built on the former dump site, and Helen Atwood was present to dedicate the stadium.  Many famous people crossed the field at Atwood from FDR in the 1930's, to Jesse Owens, and JFK in the 1960's.  Many high school football games have been played in the stadium over the years and since the 1990's, the stadium has been used principally for high school events. 

$1.5 milion has been invested to fix up the stadium and today there is still work being done on the locker rooms and one of the restrooms. 

The stadium can hold 11,700 people.  Six (6) times around the field is one mile.

There are several upcoming events at Atwood this year:

May 14 - 9:30 - 2:30 pm - Spring Clean-up (volunteers needed to help with painting and clean-up type work)

May 23 - August 26 - 11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Senior Stadium Challenge - Senior citizens can walk the field, climb the stadium steps and also get free blood pressure and cholesterol checks.

May 17 -  August 25 - Bathrooms will be open for Crim Training Participants to use as they run or walk all or part of the Crim course in preparation for the 35th Crim Festival of Races on Saturday, August 27, 2011.

June 23 - June 25 - Big Man Football  & 3 pt Kicking Camp & Clinic

August 27 - 6:30 pm - Vehicle City Classic - Saginaw Catholic v. Flint Power Catholic, plus all parochial school reunion.

For more information, go to http://www.ci.flint.mi.us/atwood/atwood.htm.

Thanks to the members who helped shop for our adopted families and/or wrap the gifts last week at the Boys and Girls Club of Flint.  Special thanks to Jamie Gaskin for allowing the club to hold their luncheon and wrapping event at the Boys & Girls Club last Wedneday.

Check out the creativity of the club members of the Kalamazoo Rotary club!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFTEVcfAy8M

John Sunwick, Club Foundation Chair, provided a great insight into The Rotary Foundation.  By giving $100 a year - less than $2 a week- to the Annual Programs Fund, (contributions that provide immediate funding for the Foundation's cultural, humanitarian, and educational programs), Rotarians help further the mission of The Rotary Foundation (which is to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty).

The Foundation's major project at this point in time is the "Polio Plus" program - a worldwide project to eliminate polio around the world.  After 20 years of tremendous work, Rotary and its partners are on the cusp of eradicating this disease.  Your contributions will help Rotary raise $200 million to match $355 million in challenge grants received from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  The resulting $555 million will directly support immunization campaigns in developing countires, where polio continues to infect and paralyze children.

By giving $100 a year through the Every Rotarian, Every Year  (EREY) initiative, you become a Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member. Contributions to EREY are the primary source of funding for Foundation programs.

Here are a few ways your contributions are making change possible.

5. Fighting hunger

In Romania, orphans and sick children have eggs, milk, and meat because of a Foundation grant that benefits local farmers. The farmers are able to buy everything from animal feed to packaging materials. There is one stipulation: They must donate a portion of their products to children's hospitals, schools, and orphanages.

In Alaska, USA, the Rotary Club of Anchorage East is also fighting hunger  by distributing food to low-income families through a mobile food pantry.

Projects such as these help address the areas of focus of maternal and child health as well as economic and community development.

4. Reducing child mortality

The Rotary clubs of Jaela-Kandana, Western Province, Sri Lanka, and Madras Northwest, Tamil Nadu, India, are helping to reduce child mortality by providing improved sanitation facilities for 15 families in a small community in Sri Lanka. With a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant , the clubs have built 14 toilets, helping to prevent diarrhea and other diseases related to poor sanitation.

According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 million children die of diarrhea every year, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five. Proper sanitation can reduce the rate of child mortality in many communities by up to a third. Water and sanitation is the third area of focus.

3. Promoting peace and conflict resolution

Watching civil war tear apart his homeland of Côte d'Ivoire instilled in Rotary Peace Fellow Kouame Remi Oussou a passion to resolve conflict.

He is now working for the United Nations Development Programme  in the Central African Republic, a country that weathered periodic internal fighting before a comprehensive peace accord took effect in 2007. Read more about Oussou .

Rotary Peace Fellows  are leaders in promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and conflict resolution. Help support the Rotary Peace Centers . Peace and conflict prevention/resolution is the first area of focus. Read about four Rotary Peace Fellows and their visions for peace .

2. Basic education and literacy

Education helps rebuild lives, whether it's in small rural towns or in war-torn countries. For example, a literacy project sponsored by U.S. Rotarians in conjunction with the International Reading Association (IRA) is helping Sudanese refugees rebuild their communities by equipping them to teach future generations.

The Southern Sudan Teacher Training Initiative provides refugees of the country's decades-long civil war, who are known as the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, with teacher training materials, guidance, and support to help them teach students in kindergarten through eighth grade. "People returning from refugee camps to rebuild their lives in Duk County are hungry for books and school supplies," says John Dau, a Lost Boy, humanitarian, and founder of the John Dau Foundation. Read more about the project .

1. Eradicating polio

Around the world, Rotarians are taking millions of steps in walkathons, diving into icy ocean waters, and participating in other fundraisers to help Rotary fulfill its promise to rid the world of polio. Si Burgher, of the Rotary Club of Bloomfield, Indiana, USA, raised almost $1,600 by having his shaggy eyebrows shaved.

Rotary launched its PolioPlus program  in 1985. Since then, eradicating polio has been the organization's top priority.  End Polio Now  and help fulfill its promise.

Below is a thank you note from Marcia Heller, Volunteer Coordinator for The Salvation Army:

Love cannot remain by itself -- it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.
~Mother Teresa

 

Love expressed in service, that's what Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary gifted to The Salvation Army of Genesee County on Thursday, November 18, when its members gratuitously rang the bells on our behalf.   I am happy to report that within six hours, your club was able to raise $221.76.  Now, here comes the best part; with those funds, The Salvation Army will be able to provide six local families with a five day supply of food.

 

Job well done, Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary.  Thank you, so very much.

 

Marcia Heller

Volunteer Coordinator

 

 

Thanks to Carol Hartley, Connie Peters, Bruce Bradley, Stacy Merrill, Jim Murdock, Gloria Dehart, Jeff Bennett, John Goodman, Al Tucker, Kay Schwartz, Ginger Virkler and Mike Moorman for ringing the bells at the red kettle stationed at the west door of Walmart in Grand Blanc!  Great job everyone!

Congratulations to Jack Stock who announced he is engaged to Nancy Ernst, teacher at Kettering University.  Plans are for a June 25, 2011 wedding at St. John's in Davison.

Best wishes from all of us at Sunrise Rotary!

 

Rotarian Schedule for this Thur, Nov 18 bell ringing at the Walmart in Grand Blanc (west door):

3:00 pm - Ginger Virkler, Bruce Bradley, Carol Hartley

4:00 pm - Ginger Virkler, Connie Peters

5:00 pm - Stacy Merill, Jim Murdock

6:00 pm - Gloria Dehart, Jeff Bennett

7:00 pm - John Goodman, Al Tucker

8:00 pm - Jenny Ludwigsen, Mike Moorman

Bells provided; wear warm clothes and shoes.

Note - after today's newsletter, this schedule will be posted on the home page (in the event you forget your scheduled time).

Jill Sheldon, Energy Manager, Genesee County Energy Consortium (GCEC) shared tips on how we can realize energy savings at work and at home.  Jill noted that energy is the world's largest industry ($5 trillion per year). She continued by stating that in 1980 the average household had 5 consumer electronic devices and today the average household has 25.

Jill's position with the Genesee County Energy Consortium is to help 8 school districts (Atherton, Beecher, Bendle, Bentley, Genesee, Lake Fenton, Westwood Heights and the Genesee Intermediate School District) save money on their energy costs.  The number one priority of the GCEC is to provide a comfortable learning and work environment.  Since its inception in 2009, the GCEC has realized energy savings of $960,000.  Jill credits the utilization of a "people based management program" (where everyone is conscious of energy conservation and their active involvement) to the success of the program to date. 

For more information about this important program, click on http://www.geneseeisd.org/index.aspx?nid=175.

 

 

 

It's not too late to vote - polls are open until 8 pm!!

Dr. Brad Habermehl provided an update at last week's meeting about the Rotary Avoidable Blindness Project.  The project was the brain child of Frank Devlin, Past Rotary International President, who was from Mexico and owned Devlin Optical.  Mr. Devlin saw the tremendous need for eyeglasses for those in Mexico who couldn't afford them, and thus started the Avoidable Blindness project 13 years ago.  Dr. Habermehl was approached in D6330 to lead the project and he has been involved since its inception.

A team of 25-30 volunteers (Rotarians, medical students and others), led by Dr. Habermehl, make an annual 10 day trip to Mexico to provide exams and eyeglasses to citizens in Mexico.  The team conducts exams and fittings over 4 days and sees around 300 people per day.  Financial support for equipment and glasses is provided by local Rotary clubs around D6330.  The team is welcomed by the Impama Rotary club, who work side by side with the team of volunteers. 

Sunrise Rotarian John Sundwick has gone on the trip for the past several years and is a great resource to the team, since he speaks Spanish.  Our club has provided Dr. Habermehl and his team an annual contribution of $1500 for quite a few years to help in the purchase of equipment and glasses.

Our adopted park at the corner of ML King and 5th Avenue received its final clean-up for the year.  Thanks to three employees from our partner Wade-Trim plus Sunrise Rotarians Al Tucker, Carol & Bill Hartley, John Sundwick and Ginger Virkler, the flower beds got a good edging, flowers "dead headed" and leaves raked.

Baker College placed 2nd out of 28 teams in the College & University Division of the Detroit Marathon Relay on Sunday October 17th. Each college team had five runners (faculty, staff and students, or a combination). The five legs of the 26.2 mile course through Detroit and Windsor varied in length from 3.0 to 6.6 miles. Mike Heberling ran the 6 mile second leg from Canada back to the US through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Overall, Baker College placed 18th out of all the 596 relay teams competing in every division.  The Baker team completed the marathon in 3 hours and 11 minutes.

Last week was our first committee meetings of the year.  Several committees met and provided the following updates:

 

Golf Outing - Chair - Jeff Bennett

Golf outing fundraiser is Friday, July 15, 2011 at Sugarbush Golf Course in Davison.  Pricing for corporate and tee sponsors will remain the same as in 2010.  The committee is targeting to obtain 25 corporate sponsors and 60 tee/green sponsors.  All members are asked again to obtain 4 door prizes, valued at $20 each.  The outing will also include a silent auction of various items (which members help is needed to obtain).

Community Service - Al Tucker

The committee agreed to having a team of Rotarians ring bells again for the Salvation Army Christmas campaign at the Walmart in Grand Blanc.  Note - Thursday, November 18, 2010 from 3-9 pm has been selected.  We need 2 Rotarians per hour to man the kettle; a sign-up sheet will be circulating at future meetings.

The committee is also looking to identify a Community Service project geared toward youth.  Anyone with ideas should forward them to Al Tucker.  The committee would like to make this an annual event.

Grants Committee - Ginger Virkler

The "call" for grant applications will begin on Monday, January 3, 2011.  Notification will be sent out via the media and also to United Way (who was helpful last year in getting out the word to non-profit agencies).  The deadline for grant application submission will be Friday, February 25, 2011.  The May 11, 2011 meeting has been designated the meeting to award the checks to the recipients.  $11,000 is the amount that the committee will be distributing (which is from this past summer's golf outing).

Public Relations - Ashoka Rao

Ashoka Rao asked all club members to consider using the Club Bulletin as a means to get information out about their business or organization.  Information can be emailed to Ginger Virkler at glvirk@gmail.com.   She also mentioned that the committee will develop and get out a timeline when information would need to be submitted to the committee for development and distribution of press releases to the media.

Club Administration Committee - Gloria Dehart

Gloria indicated there are still openings for speakers for our December meetings and also dates in 2011.  Contact Gloria if you have any ideas for speakers or topics.  Her email is gdehart@wingateflint.com.

Calling all committee chairs - this coming Wednesday October 13 is the first of several committee meetings planned during our regular Wednesday meeting time.  You will have a chance to meet directly with your committee members to discuss your committee's goals and plans for this year. 

The news story focused on the work of Bill and Melinda Gates, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to improve education and maternal and child health, and to prevent deaths from AIDS, malaria, and polio.

The video and transcript are available through CBS News.

Rotary staff worked closely with the producers of 60 Minutes during the filming of the portion on polio. On March 21, the 60 Minutes team filmed at a World Health Organization polio vaccine distribution center in Wazirabad, India. The crew followed India PolioPlus Committee Chair Deepak Kapur, Rotarians, and health workers through Sri Ram Colony, Karawal Nagar -- a densely populated area near Wazirabad -- to shoot polio immunization activities..

The Gates Foundation has awarded Rotary US$355 million in challenge grants to support immunization campaigns in developing countries, where polio continues to infect and paralyze children. As of September 30, Rotarians have raised about $146 million for Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge -- Rotary's response to the Gates Foundation grants.

Read more about Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio.

Members gnoshed on delicious appetizers and  entrees while catching up with each other, meeting each other's family members and sharing many laughs at last week's "Summer Wine Down" at Brickstreet Bar & Grill. The event was held in a lovely fireplace room at the restaurant. 

Members in attendance included - John Goodman, Carol & Bill Hartley, Ginger Virkler, Connie Peters, Stacy Merrill, Jim Murdock, Dawn Crichton, Jenny Ludwigsen, Mark Schwartz, Gloria Dehart, Karl Olmsted, and Jeff Bennett.  A good time was had by all.  Special thanks to Carol Hartley for organizing the event!

Bishop Airport staff put on a fabulous program for members last week at the airport.  After a sumptious buffet breakfast, members listened intently to an update on airport activities from Director Jim Rice.

Jim provided a few updates before answering member's questions:

1.  Thanksgiving through spring - busiest time for the airport;

2.  The airport has capacity to serve 2 million passengers per year (they currently serve about 1 million passengers per year);

2.  In 2010, passenger traffic is up 2-3% and cargo traffic is up 25%;

3.  Air Tran has been the driver behind Bishop's growth; everyone is anxiously awaiting the merger between Southwest and Air Tran to see how it will impact the airport;

4.  Top destinations from Bishop for passengers include Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, Ft Myers, Tampa, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston and New York;

5.  The airport was designed so that it could be expanded over time;

6.  The airport is moving towards a "green" environment by recently updating their de-icing system to now have the runoff process through the City of Flint sanitary system (instead of in the ground). 

Jim continued by sharing that a restaurant and gift shop in the passenger area is in the planning stages and that by January, 2011 a decision will be made on whether to add an additional wing west (toward Koegel's) that could cost between $50-$60 million to complete.

The airport is supported by a public millage, plus generation of revenues from landing fees, rental cars, parking lot fees, etc.  They operate a $13 million annual budget and have over 700 people who work at the airport. 

Our visit concluded with a shuttle bus tour on the secondary road within the airport complex. 

For more information about Bishop Airport, go to www.bishopairport.org.

 

Check out this video (yes -Rotarians do have a sense of humor)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o-P3WcaKJQ

Lisa Hagel, new Superintendent for the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) shared a bit about herself and an update about learning in Genesee County.

Lisa is a Genesee county native, and has served 26 years in education in both the Fenton and Mt. Morris School districts.  She is a member of the Kiwanis Club (and past Club President) and is a strong supporter of community involvement.

The GISD serves 83,000 students and is focusing on four key areas:  education and achievement, marketing, customer service and technology.  The GISD provides business services to 12 school districts and technology services to 8 school districts.

One of the key service areas for the GISD is online learning.  Students, with the approval of their school, can take classes online from home.  Each student has a certified teacher "mentor" who works with the student.

For more information about the GISD, visit www.geneseeisd.org.

 

 

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 30th!  Sunrise Rotarians, friends and family members will box up food at the Food Bank from 9 am - 12 noon.  If you haven't signed up yet it's not too late!  A sign-up sheet will be circulating each week at our club meeting. 

Don't forget - this week's program is at BISHOP AIRPORT!  Park in the short term parking lot, bring your parking pass inside and head upstairs to the meeting room on your left.  Staff will provide an update on the airport and a tour!

Amy McMillan, Director, Genesee County Parks (GCP) and Recreation provided an update on all the many activities happening at the parks facilities in the next couple of months.  Genesee County Parks encompasses 11,000 acres and is the largest park system in the State of Michigan.  Amy has been the Director for 11 years and hails from Midland, Michigan.

In addition to the many parks in Genesee County, the GCP also owns and operates Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad, plus For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum.  One of the biggests weekends in the fall of the year is Halloween month at Crossroads Village.  The Halloween event, "Ghosts & Goodies", runs weekends from October 1-31 at Crossroads Village and attracts over 50,000 visitors over the four weekend time frame.  In addition to Halloween, Christmas at Crossroads is another huge event for the facility.  There are wonderful activities during the Christmas holidays (lighting of the big tree, ride on the Huckleberry Railroad, plus lots of other fun events at the various buildings on the grounds).  This year, thanks to a $300,000 grant from the CS Mott Foundation, your ride on the railroad should be a lot smoother.  Monies from the grant have been used to replace the railroad tracks.

Another gem anytime of year, but especially pretty in the fall and winter is For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum.  Hiking and cross-country skiing is a great way to see the preserve.  Thanks again to the generosity of the CS Mott Foundation the pedestrian bridge at the preserve will be replaced.

If you have not visited one of the parks or facilities in recent years you owe it to yourself and your family to check them out.  For more information on upcoming programs and park locations, go to www.geneseecountyparks.org.

 

When cleaning out your closets this fall, please consider helping a child in need by donating a new or gently used coat to Coats for Kids.  Last year, almost 2,000 children in Genesee County received coats to protect them from our harsh winter weather. 
Collection boxes are located in Genesee County at all Halo Burger restaurants, Genesee Valley Center (JC Penneys inside entrance), Courtland Mall (food court), Absolutely the Best Cleaners at 3607 Beecher Road, FedEx Kinkos at 3170 S. Linden Road and The Salvation Army in downtown Flint at 211 W. Kearsley Street.

If you have questions or would like a collection box at your location, please contact Connie at The Salvation Army at 810-232-1684.

Greater Flint Sunrise Rotarians are excited to welcome Anthony Watson as our newest member! He had the distinct honor of being installed by District Governor Michael Atkins during his club visit last week. Congratulations Anthony on becoming a fellow Rotarian!!

District 6330 Governor Michael Atkins spoke to the Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary last week. During his more than 30 years of service, Mike has served 2 separate terms as club president of the Thornbury-Clarkston Rotary and has taken a leading role in many Rotary projects and programs, including the club's huge Haiti project in the early 80's. During his presentation, he urged Rotary Clubs to engage in activities that enhance both the FUN aspects and the FEEL-GOOD aspects of being a member of a club. His 2010-2011 challenge to District 6330 clubs is to encourage spirit inducing activities. Fellowship can be promoted through visiting other Rotarians or organizing social events. Share Rotary by inviting guests and the media. Recognize or honor members for achievements and accomplishments. He invited Sunrise Rotary to visit the District's web site and take his challenge to complete the steps to "Increase the Fun Factor." He also mentioned that we may want to brush up on the 4 Way Test! Rotary District 6330 is one of 528 Rotary Districts around the world and encompasses 60 Rotary clubs in Ontario and Michigan. There are 2,200 Rotarians in District 6330 and 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide!

Rotary has a lot to celebrate during New Generations Month in September. New Generations Service became the fifth Avenue of Service after a decision by the 2010 Council on Legislation in April. Find out more in the latest issue of Rotary Leader.

See the September issue of Rotary Leader

 

 

Our own Dr. Michael Heberling gave us a lot of reasons to stop complaining and enjoy the 21st century. A comprehensive look at the year 1900 and how things were back in the not-so-good old days reveals, among other things: Life expectancy was age 44. Only 3% of American homes had electricity. Pollution was worse than now: the country had 20.5 million horses; in NY city, horses generated 5 million lbs of manure per day, which was disposed of by dumping in the river!

Saturday, Sept 11 at 10am is the date when Rotarians will clean up our "corner" at ML King & 5th Avenue in Flint.  Plants will need "dead-heading" so all you Grateful Dead folks come on out!  Folks with a yard edger are needed as well as those with strong backs to pull weeds!  Please bring rakes also on the day of the clean-up!  Family & friends are welcome to join us!

It's almost here - our "Summer Wie Down", this Thursday, Oct 7th.

Join fellow Rotarians, spouses and guests at Brickstreet Bar & Grill in Grand Blanc (east of the intersection of Fenton & Grand Blanc Rds). 

Cash bar and "dutch treat" for dinner.  No set menu - we can order off their regular  menu.

Cocktail hour - 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Dinner - 6:30 pm - ?????

 

From rotary.org:

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast, devastating New Orleans and parts of Mississippi. Since then, Rotarians have been committed to the region's rebirth, raising millions of dollars for relief and recovery efforts. In May 2011, Rotary's most important annual event, the international convention, returns to New Orleans. 

Read more
Former scholar writes book about Katrina

Vertigo - dizziness, a sense of reeling; a 1958 American psychological thriller film by Alfred Hitchcock;the opening track and first single from U2's 2004 album; the name of a theatrical company in Flint, MI.  Hmmm...never knew the name was so popular but it's obviously made an impact for Ted Valley, Actor, Producer and Director of Vertigo Theatrics (Flint & Genesee County's "Premiere Choice for Dinner Theatre and Live Entertainment"), our speaker at last week's meeting.

In 1997 the dinner theatre opened at the Masonic Temple in downtown Flint.  Over the years the productions have included musicals, mysteries and comedy.  The 2010-2011 season begins the week of September 10th with the production of "Working", a musical about everyday working Americans.  In December Vertigo presents "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol", a story that takes several turns before giving us a glimpse of Marley's fate.

Vertigo Theatrics also does private productions for corporate events, holiday parties, etc.  They travel a large geographic area to do performances going from Detroit to Traverse City.  They also were the first group to introduce "Shakespeare in the Park" in conjunction with the City of Flint Parks and Recreation.

If you are looking for a great night out, or a fun addition to your corporate event, contact Vertigo Theatrics.  For more information on their upcoming season and schedule, go to www.vertigotheatrics.com. Thanks Chris "Doorknob" for introducing us to Vertigo Theatrics!

If you have old electronic equipment (computers, audio equipment , tv's, fans, vacuums), Best Buy will recycle it for you (no charge).  They will take seven household items per day at their Miller Road store.  They don't take console tv's or tube tv's or monitors larger than 32".  They also don't take electronics with refrigerants in them -ie, mini-refrigerators or air conditioners. They do have a pick-up program for larger items (for a fee).

For more information go to http://www.bestbuy.com/site/null/Recycling-Electronics/pcmcat149900050025.c?id=pcmcat149900050025.

Thanks to all the Sunrise Rotarians, friends and family members who helped out at the 7 mile water station last Saturday!  Thanks for giving of your time to help out with this great community event!

Congratulations to Tim Curry who accepted a position with Bank of America in Lake Orion.  Tim will be the Assistant Branch Manager.

Members Dawn Crichton and John Sundwick can now be found at Hurley Medical Center.  Dawn is working part-time, shooting photos of the beautiful babies at Hurley.  John is serving as Associate Chaplain for the hospital. 

Members Jenny Ludwigsen and John Goodman shared insights into their busy lives at last week's meeting.

Jenny was sponsored by Karl Olmsted.  She an a native of Ohio, having grown up in Toledo and later graduating from the University of Toledo with a B.A. in English.  From Ohio her career took her in 1998 to Washington, DC where she worked for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  In 2000 she moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and since 2002 has resided in Grand Blanc.  Jenny has 2 children, Gunnar and Gus, 2 female dogs, Feebie and Lucy, and a husband who teaches physics at Kettering University. 

When not chasing after her 2 boys, 2 dogs, or husband, Jenny escapes during the day to her full time job as the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Dort Federal Credit Union.  She is responsible for all the marketing and e-commerce for the credit union and has a very active community presence in the Genesee County community.

Our newest member, John Goodman, was sponsored by Stacy Merrill.   He is married, and has 2 children - son, Parker and daughter, Ashley.  John grew up in Burton, graduated from Atherton High School and upon graduation went to work for a truss manufacturer in Brighton.  Desiring to make a career change, John went back to school and studied for two years at Mott Community College, then transferred to The University of Michigan-Flint, where he obtained a B.S. in  Accounting and Finance.  He has passed the CPA exam, and currently is a tax preparer for Fiducial Business Centers, Inc., a national company with over 100 locations across the country.

 

 

Mark Yonan, Crim Fitness Foundation Board Chair, shared the history and evolution of the Crim with club members last week.  The "Crim" started in 1977 at 12 noon as the Bobby Crim Road 10 Mile Race to benefit Special Olympics.  Thirty-four years later, the Crim has transitioned into the Crim Fitness Foundation, an organization that still supports Special Olympics, but has evolved into the Crim Festival of Races (a series of races of all distances, for runners, walkers, wheelchair participants, children and families), and healthy living programs for children,adults and the community.

The Crim Youth Program impacts over 10,000 children annually in every elementary school in the City of Flint and over 30 elementary schools in Genesee County.  The CrimFit Mileage Clubs is an in-school fitness program designed to motivate children to become more aerobically fit.  It encourages children in grades K-6 to run and/or walk during recess, physical education class or during a classroom fitness break.  Since 1994, the Crim Kids Classic (held in May each year on the Flint Cultural Center campus), offers fun for the entire family with races for infants (the "diaper dash") to children up to age 12 and includes free admission to Flint Cultural Center attractions.

There are also CrimFit Neighborhood Running Clubs, created by former State Representative Bob Emerson and former Board member Judy Samelson, which allow area children to train for the upcoming Crim Festival of Races.  The Crim Kids Invitational is the culminating event for the CrimFit Neighborhood Running Clubs and attracts over 400 children, held the Friday night before the Crim Festival of Races (coming up this Friday, August 27 in downtown Flint).

The Crim's 15 week adult running and walking training program continues to be the largest training program of its kind in the USA.  This year over 1500 individuals have taken to "the bricks" to prepare for one of the upcoming races on August 28th.  Volunteer group leaders work with teams of 20-25 participants (in the 5k, 8k and 10 mile distances) to prepare them to complete either a running or walking event.

In keeping true to its mission of improving the health of Genesee County, the Crim Fitness Foundation recognized it must invest in creating livable, more active communties.  The vision was realized upon creation of a partnership with the Michigan Fitness Foundation.  Together, they created the Safe and Active Genesee for Everyone (SAGE) Coalition.  This collaborative of multi-disciplinary stakeholders (over 20 organizations) has taken the lead in implementing initiatives that support and enable active and healthy lifestyles.  To date SAGE has identified and helped coordinate improvements to the Flint River Trail; coordinated a trail signage system on all Genesee County trails; held the first "Trail Mix" event to promote and educate residents about the Flint River Trail; facilitated the involvement of three Flint elementary schools in the Safe Routes To School (SRTS) Program, a program that strives to create a safe, convenient and fun environment for children to walk and bike to school; and advocated to create more pedestrian and bicycle friendly communities through policy and environmental changes, especially Complete Streets policies.

Sunrise Rotarians will be out supporting the Crim and cheering on the participants this Saturday, August 28th at the 7 mile water station. 

For more information about the Crim, visit www.crim.org.  For a listing of upcoming race weekend activities for the whole family, visit http://www.crim.org/files/Race/2010RaceWeekSchedule.pdf.

See you on the bricks!

The end of August is fast approaching, and school is just around the corner for many children.  What are your thoughts about having a summer "wine down" - after hours gathering to mingle, share summer stories and meet/network with other members and their spouses, guests and significant others?

Please email Stacy Merrill at merrillstacy@yahoo.com or share your thoughts with him at an upcoming club meeting.

Harold Grant, co-chair of the 2010 Sunrise Golf Outing, announced that it appears that the club will realize $15,000 in profits from this past July's outing.  Monies will be used for scholarships and grants to children/youth related projects.  Great job everyone!

Past President Jeff Bennett will "lead the charge" for next year's Sunrise golf outing fundraiser.  Thanks Jeff for taking on this important project for our club!

Steven Miesowicz, Senior Director for Human Resources and Government Relations, shared Diplomat's plans for expansion in the City of Flint.  Diplomat recently purchased 340,000 square feet of the Great Lakes Technology Center and has plans to increase their employee count from 420 to over 1000 (in the next several years).

Diplomat Pharmacy is the largest privately held specialty pharmacy in Michigan and is celebrating 35 years in business this year.  Founder Dale Hagerman started the pharmacy in 1975 and turned over the reigns to son Phil (now President and CEO) in 1991.  The pharmacy prides itself in being "high touch" with its customers and employs a variety of positions - from licensed practical nurses to call center representatives.  With seven locations across the country, Diplomat has plans to someday add a location in Texas and New York.

The Great Lakes Technology Center will serve as the pharmacy's distribution hub.  Their goal is to try and attract other high tech life sciences businesses to their 340,000 ft locale. 

For more information on Diplomat Pharmacy, check out their website - http://www.diplomatpharmacy.com/.

 

Congratulations to Jim Murdock who picked the ace of spades to win last week's raffle of  $66.00.

You won't want to miss this week's speaker -Amy McMillan will give us an update on the Genesee County Park system.

Many people wonder what's happening with earthquake stricken Haiti, and what Rotary is doing to help.  Read this story by Ryan Hyland which gives a great insight into the relief efforts by Rotary International - http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100803_news_haitisixmonths.aspx

Linda Hamacher presented an update on the Genesee Health Plan and the results of a 2009 grant from the Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary Club.

A county wide millage supports the Genesee Health Plan (GHP), which provides insurance coverage for those that can't afford a health plan.  GHP is the only plan in the state of this nature that is millage supported.  There are 25,000 adults (ages 19-64) currently enrolled in the plan (with demand just about ready to exceed capacity).

GHP is in the process of developing a dental program and this year received a $600,000 grant from Community Mental Health which has been used to help individuals with mental illness and stress related programs (1200 people have gone through this program so far).

Greater Flint Sunrise Rotary club awarded GHP a $1000 grant in 2009 which they used to educate parents on how to prevent injuries and accidental deaths of their infants and children (via booth participation at the The Flint Journal Parenting Expo).  GHP had numerous demonstrations for parents on child safety and injury prevention and reached over 4,000 parents & children at the expo.

For more info on GHP go to http://countyhealthplans.org/GHP.aspx.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - to hand out water at the Sunrise Rotary sponsored water station at the 7 mile mark on the Crim 10 mile course this Saturday, August 28th.  The water station is located on Parkside Drive in Flint (off Miller Rd).  Friends and families are welcome as we need 25 people to help out that morning.  To volunteer please contact Andrew Wittenberg at awittenberg@venatornet.com.

Don't forget - the August primary is tomorrow, August 3.  Exercise your rights at the polls tomorrow  - go to http://thevoterguide.mlive.com - to view an online manual for the candidates in tomorrow's primary.

"The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter."  

Dwight D. Eisenhower

In 1916, Founder Paul Harris shared his thoughts about the organization in an article entitled "The Future of Rotary".  It is an interesting read - check it out at:

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100727_news_harrisnewyear.aspx

Come one, call all to the 10th annual "Taste in Fenton", to be held on Saturday, August 7 from 12 NOON - 8 pm in downtown Fenton.  Restaurants from around Fenton and Genesee County will be offering great samples from their menus.  A beer and wine tent will also be available at the event, along with bottled water, root beer floats and pop.  Three bands will be performing  throughout the day - Jones' N (3 pm)- check out a sample of their music at http://www.myspace.com/theonlyjonesn, HOOK (a Detroit Band) and another local Fenton area band.  There will also be a "Kids Zone" for children up to the age of 12.  The event will be located on the lawn of the Fenton Community Center and will also be held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club "Art at the Center" art festival which will be on the front lawn of the Fenton Community Center.

Tickets are $10 in advance (gives you 10 tastings) or $12 at the door.  See Ginger Virkler for advance tickets.

The event is sponsored by the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce and the City of Fenton Downtown Development Authority.

NOTE - Like to run or walk?  Join the Fenton Firefighters on Sat August 7 before Taste in Fenton at 10 am for a 5k or 10k run and walk (proceeds benefit Fenton Firefighters Charities).  For more information and a registration form check out http://www.fentonfirecharities.org/.

Once again the streets will be packed in downtown Flint, but this time it will be filled with car lovers of all ages as they enjoy the activities provided by Back to the Bricks August 17 through the 21st.

Al Hatch, Chairman of Back to the Bricks Cruise and Car Show, shared many of the exciting details of this summer's upcoming event.   The kick off will be on August 17 with a FREE drive in movie at the US23 Drive In.  Saturday starts with the 8:00 am opening ceremony and then spectators can enjoy seeing cars up close and personal in downtown Flint till 8:00 pm. 

As a lifetime Flint resident, Al Hatch explained the extreme importance of the impact Back to the Bricks has on our local economy.  Over 25,000 cars and over 250,000 spectators are expected to participate in this year's cruise.  Blackstones Bar & Grill served over 20,000 meals and Burton McDonalds' business increase 10 times during the cruise were sited as a couple examples.

 

To see a complete list of Back to the Bricks activities, visit their web site at www.backtothebricks.org or contact Al Hatch at 810-695.2894.

 

Check out the article on Knoblock Hardware's unique garage sale -posted on July 21, 2010 in The Flint Journal -

http://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/index.ssf/2010/07/knoblock_hardware_of_flint_to.html

Are you looking for a festival to attend, art fair, music concert?  Check out www.michiganfun.com for a listing of events across the State of Michigan.

Check out this article posted recently on rotary.org -

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/071031_news_scam.aspx

Kay Schwartz, Interim Director for the Flint Public Library, provided club members a detailed insight into the world of library operations and its impact on a community.  The Flint Public Library, founded on March 22, 1851,  has been a key institution in the Flint Cultural Center area for many years.  Kay cited some interesting statistics about the Flint Public Library that many of us were not aware of:

1.  More than 1100 people go to their main branch each day;

2.  Their librarians answer more than 500 questions a day;

3.  1/3 of the library users are children and teens;

4.  Out county residents can borrow from the library for free;

5.  The library has the 2nd largest "open stack" geneology collection in the State of Michigan.

6.  The library has been recognized nationally for its programming;

7.  The library also has 3 branch locations within the City of Flint.

The Flint Public Library is a "jewel" in our community.  Their librarians have a strong desire to help, to teach and to share expertise.  It's not just about the books anymore - libraries also teach computer classes (email, searching on the web, how to download e books, etc.) and hold educational classes for the community (such as those provided by the Genesee Bar Association).

The Flint Public Library is funded by a millage which means that their revenue is determined by property values, which have decreased significantly since 2008.  The 1.4 mill Library Millage Proposal which is on the August 3, 2010 ballot is the absolute minimum necessary to keep their essential programs and services.  Two-thirds of the millage (.9 of 1.4) is a renewal of the existing millage.  The .9 millage expires in 2011.

The library staff realizes the importance of reducing costs and since 2004 has reduced staffing by 30% and they have scaled back their benefit plan (unions now pay 20% of the premiums).

The Flint Public Library is much more than a book repository - it's a place for community learning and discussion-an environment where children can learn to read, where student and adults can search for employment opportunities, and where all individuals can search for the history of their ancestors.

If you live within the City of Flint (or know others who do), please encourage them to get out and VOTE YES for the Flint Public Library millage on August 3.

For more information about the Flint Public Library, go to www.fpl.info

The Genesee County Salvation Army kicks off Christmas a tad bit early this year with Christmas in July. For the first time in The Salvation Army history volunteers will be out with the red kettles, ringing the bells and collecting donations for current activities and for early preparation of the coming holiday. The volunteers will be located throughout Genesee County during the last two weeks of July.

"As donations continue to dwindle and the need continues to grow, it has become necessary to dust off our red kettles to seek additional funds to support children's activities and our community outreach programs," states William Goodwill, Genesee County Business Manager.

In 2009 with the communities support The Salvation Army was able to provide over $1.3 million in financial assistance to area families to help them remain in their homes—avoiding evictions, foreclosures, and utility shut offs.  "During our Christmas assistance program last year, more than 4,800 people received toys, clothing and boxes of food so that they would be able to share the joy of the holidays with their loved ones," Goodwill says. "The supplemental food program provided 6,245 boxes of food to hungry Genesee County families."

If you or someone you know is interested in donating time by volunteering at one of The Salvation Army red kettle locations click http://www.salarmygenesee.org/ for a list of kettle sites, dates and times. Or call (810) 232-2196 to schedule volunteer time by phone.  

The Flint Area Visitor and Conventions Bureau (FACVB) puts out a daily (Monday-Friday) e newsletter regarding business news and events in the Flint and surrounding community.  The subscription is free.  If you are not receiving this newsletter and would like to start, email Katie Bach at kbach@flint.travel .

Dr. Doug Melton, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Kettering University, expressed the importance of taking the knowledge students gain in the classroom and teaching them to apply it in creative ways throughout their professional careers. His goal is to teach students the trade, while creating a passion for their ideas.
Dr. Melton's key message to the group was 1). Listen to the real problem 2). Keep the searchlight on and you'll find something unexpected and 3). Never miss an opportunity to be amazing!
Kettering graduate, Kevin Simpson who was a guest of Marc Alexander's, also shared the news that TEDxFlint will be coming to Kettering on October 23, 2010. The focus of this unique event is Focus.Learn.Innovate.Nuture.Transform. To learn more, visit their web site at www.TED.com. Flint's web site will be going live soon at www.tedxflint.com.

With the start of the new Rotary year, Rotary International's revised Strategic Plan officially goes into effect.

The plan comprises three priorities, all of equal importance to Rotary's future: support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase humanitarian service, and enhance public image and awareness. These priorities stem from Rotary's core values of service, leadership, diversity, integrity, and fellowship.

Rotary clubs can use the priorities in the RI Strategic Plan as a basis for developing their own plans, tailored to their size of their club, the skills of their members, and the needs of the communities they serve.

The revised RI Strategic Plan (PDF) is available for download, along with Rotary's core values (PDF) , a PowerPoint presentation that explains the RI Strategic Plan, an RI Strategic Plan poster (PDF), and other resources.

The RI Board of Directors adopted the revised plan at its November meeting and refined it in January. 

Learn more 

Online shoppers on the new site will receive 15 percent off their first purchase during the month of July. In addition, all items listed as US$0.01 automatically become free at checkout for all Rotarians.

The enhanced shopping site includes improved search functionality, allows customers to use Amazon.com accounts to make purchases, and provides the highest possible level of security and protection against fraud. The online shop is currently available in English, with plans to add language options by 19 July, and full German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish versions of the site in the coming months.

Because of the Amazon partnership, all purchases made on shop.rotary.org are covered by  Amazon's A to Z Guarantee .

Welcome the 2010-11 RI leaders as they help make Rotary bigger, better, and bolder.

It was an entertaining meeting at Sunrise Rotary last week.  During the "changing of the guard", Jeff Bennett presented a light-hearted recount of his year, citing great accomplishments by many club members.  Jeff thanked a number of people for stepping up to help the club accomplish its goals:

Andrew Wittenberg - Chair - Service Projects - Andrew and his committee coordinated our Christmas shopping project, Food Bank Packing Day and Crim 7 mile water station project.

Mark Alexander - Chair - Scholarship Committee - Mark and his committee marketed, identified, screened and selected two outstanding candidates who were each awarded $1000 each for college tuition.

Mike Heberlig - Chair - Rotary Foundation - Mike provided a very insightful overview of the Rotary Foundation during the year aptly called "Rotary Foundation 101".  We finally know what the Rotary Foundation is all about.

Kay Schwartz - Chair - International Service - Kay and her committee spearheaded our Haiti response efforts by raising $1855 (via member and club contributions) for Aquaboxes.  Their committee also awarded $1500 to the Avoidable Blindness project, spearheaded by Burton Rotarian Brad Habermahl.

Harold Grant & Carol Hartley - Chairs - Golf Outing - Harold & Carol, along with their subcommittee chairs, have done a great job of organizing this year's golf outing and keeping all of us on track to ensure a successful outing.

Ginger Virkler - Chair - Grants Committee - Ginger and her committee reviewed over 30 applications from area children/youth related non-profits and awarded $13,000 to 11 non-profits.

Tom Crampton - Past President and Chair of the Nominating Committee.  Tom's steady hand provided great guidance to President Jeff.

Stacy Merrill - President Elect, Membership Chair and club "Techie" - he saved our speakers many weeks from a technology disaster.

Jamie Gaskin - Chair - Literacy Program - Jamie did a super job coordinating the club's efforts with the other Area 7 Rotary clubs.

Al Tucker - Treasurer - Al has been our "Money Guy" for 5 years and will be passing the checkbook over to Mark Schwartz - great job Al!

Karl Olmsted - Secretary - Karl has finished another "stellar" year as our Secretary, sending in our attendance records, membership reports, etc. on a regular basis.

Gloria Dehart - Chair - Public Relations - Gloria rose to the challenge and did a superb job organizing the 1st Annual Area 7 Awards Night! She also kept Connie and Ginger in line as members of her committee (a tough job but somebody's got to do it)!

Connie Peters - affectionately known as "Miss Publicity" - the club got great press this year due to Connie's diligence and great follow-up.

Ginger Virkler - Club Bulletin - Ginger has agreed to continue as Editor for another year. 

Ashoka Rau - Chair - Club Administration - Ashoka had a tough job - lining up speakers for 50 weeks this past year; she did a great job in bringing in a variety of speakers.

Jeff wrapped up his remarks by stating that the club received the District Governor's Award and the RI Presidential Award this year and ended by commenting on the fact that the club, along with the other Rotary clubs in Area 7 have worked closer than ever this year (Literacy Project, 1st Annual Awards Night, and Pub Crawl).

Stacy Merrill took to the podium and continued the energy and humor as he presented a "Look Back on Jeff Bennett" slide show.  Stacy had great photos of Jeff's earlier days - 1 - when he had hair and 2 - when he was taller (he sure looked a lot taller than his fraternal twin - whom we just found out about - hummmm).  Stacy presented Jeff with a beautiful "Rotary blue" vase for his year of service and a book entitled "S...t My Dad Says".  I think we need to hear more excerpts from this book throughout the Rotary  year.

Stacy introduced his incoming Officers and Board of Directors:

Jamie Gaskin - President Elect

Jim Murdock - Vice President

Mark Schwartz - Treasurer

Karl Olmsted - Secretary

Al Tucker - Service Projects

John Sundwick - International Service

Ashoka Rau - Public Relations

Gloria DeHart - Club Administration

Congratulations to Jeff on a great year and Best Wishes to Stacy on a successful Rotary year!

Thanks....for the memories!  GREAT PRESENTATION!

Country music legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton spoke at the fourth plenary session on June 23 about the importance of early childhood reading. RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith closed the Rotary international convention in Montreal by outlining plans for his term. Attendees at the closing plenary session were also treated to an original performance by the world-famous Cirque du Soleil.

• Watch the video
• Read more convention news

Club members, a member's spouse and two students from Grand Blanc High School joined forces to pull weeds, rake and clip dead plants and bushes at the corner of ML King Boulevard and Fifth Avenue last Saturday.  After a good three hour work session, the area looked much better and you could actually see the Juniper bushes!  Thanks especially to Tom Crampton for diving in head first (literally) and finding and pulling out weeds, trash and leaves from the center of the island (wow - what a job)!

Also - special thanks to Alexander and Mattie (our two high school students) and Madonna Bennett for the great job they did in helping us!

Carol Hartley will keep us posted on the next phase of work at the location and a date for the next work session (we're hoping to get mulch to put around the beds).  

Members who participated included Jeff Bennett, Bruce Bradley, Carol Hartley, Tom Crampton, Kay Schwartz, Ginger Virkler, John Sundwick and Harold Grant. 

We got many "thank-you's" from drivers and pedestrians and the Sunrise Rotary banner was waving proudly at the site!

Lois Sharp-Schneider, owner of the Yoga Loft, started off last week's program by giving everyone an overview of yoga, and the tremendous benefits it can provide - more flexibility, less stress, peace of mind, etc.  After Sharp-Schneider departed for an 8 am yoga class, Allore Sharp, owner of Sharp Fitness, gave an overview of the classes offered at Sharp Fitness (cardio kickboxing, tai chi, zumba, etc.) and quickly got club members up and moving with a demonstration of Zumba (latin style dance aerobics).  Ms. Sharp indicated that a person can burn a "whopping" 700 calories in a one hour Zumba class.  Club members demonstrated moves that we never knew they had!!  All in all a fun program!  Both the Yoga Loft and Sharp Fitness share space in downtown Flint at 555 S. Saginaw Street, Suite 104 (around the corner from Wade-Trim).  Visit their website at www.yogaloftflint.com for a class schedule and pricing.

Sunrise Rotarians "floated" out of the tea room last Wednesday after experiencing Reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy".

Jennifer Harris was our Reiki "master" and did a great job explaining what Reiki is and how it can help us be healthier and more relaxed.  Check out the photo of our members as they experience Reiki firsthand.

The annual Rotary international convention opened yesterday in Montreal, Canada.  Rotarians from around the world are in attendance with record numbers being set.  Check out the video -

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/conv10june_videogallery.aspx

If you've never been to an international convention it is a wonderful experience! From the House of Friendship -a huge expo of entertainment, food, exhibits from clubs around the world, and shopping -(from local businesses to businesses across the globe), to world-renowned speakers, to opportunities to meet people from countries around the world. It truly is a Rotary experience you'll never forget!

 

 

Congratulations to Jim Murdock on being named CEO of Whaley Children's Center.  Check out the article in yesterday's Flint Journal regarding Jim's new appointment.  Click on:

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/06/new_whaley_childrens_center_ce.html

Shirley Cochran, Motherly Intercession, receives Greater Flint Sunrise Award from Tom Crampton at May 8, 2010 Area 7 Annual Awards Night.

Congratulations to Jim Murdock who was recently named President and CEO of Whaley Children's Center.  Check out the article on mlive.com about Jim's appointment -http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/05/whaley_childrens_center_names.html

CORRECTION - Congratulations to Karl Olmsted on becoming a Multiple-Paul Harris Fellow! Jeff Bennett awarded Karl with his pin (which now has 2 stones) several weeks ago - depicting his gift of $3000 (not $2000 as reported earlier by this editor) to date to the Rotary Foundation!  Thanks Karl for your generosity but also for the many, many talents/gifts you give to Sunrise Rotary as well!

The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.  Here are some highlights of how your contributions to the Rotary Foundation were put to work during the 2008-2009 Rotary year (as reflected in the RI Foundation Annual Report):

1.  527 maternal and child health grants awarded for $7,172,184; 2,436 water and sanitation grants awarded for $30,484,779; 2,718 disease prevention and treatment grants awarded for $34,189,400; 2,664 basic education and literacy grants awarded for $28,008,087; 1,625 economic and community development grants awarded for $24,498,464; and 434 peace and conflict prevention/resolution fellowships awarded for $20,460,000.

2.  222,270,331 children were immunized against polio in 22 countires - 17 of them in Africa during the last 10 days of May, 2009.

3.  140 countries have Rotaract clubs, a Rotary supported leadership, professional development, and service club organization for young adults ages 18-30.

4.  8,500 students ages 15-19 studied in 80 countries through the Rotary Youth Exchange program during 2008-2009.  Of those, 71% were long-term exchanges.

5.  More than $90 million has been raised in support of Rotary's US $200 Million Polio Challenge.

For more details on the 2008-2009 Annual report, go to www.rotary.org.

 

Congratulations to Tom Crampton (Sunrise Rotary immediate Past President) on receiving a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.  Anyone who gives or has given in his/her name $1000 to the Rotary Foundation receives a Paul Harris Fellow award.  As Rotarians continue to give in additional increments of $1000, they then receive a Multiple Paul Harris Award (pin with a gemstone on it signifying the additional $1000 contribution).

THA Architects Engineers won the "Corporate Citizenship Award" at last week's Genesee County Regional Chamber of Commerce's Annual Business Awards.  Our very own club President (and THA's President) Jeff Bennett accepted the award.  Congratulations Jeff and all the THA employees for your involvement and commitment to the community!

Matt Bach, Public Relations & Media Manager, Flint Area Visitor & Conventions Bureau (FACVB), gave a comprehensive overview at last week's meeting of how the FACVB is "changing the perception of Flint and Genesee County".  Matt stated that the mission of the FACVB is to bring in overnight guests to our area to support the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, conference centers) and get "heads in beds".

The FACVB has done the following (with Matt's leadership) to bring attention to the Flint/Genesee County area:

1.  Set-up Google alerts - utilizing key words such as Flint/Genesee County to find out what is being said about our area;

2.  Launched Flint, MI Facebook page - which currently has 4000 fans, plus a FACVB Facebook page and a Twitter page;

3.  Secured $100,000 in promo ads for the Buick Open and other Genesee County events from the City of Ottawa, Canada.  The City of Ottawa was running a "This Ain't Flint Campaign" which the FACVB found out about through the Google alerts; FACVB challenged the City to retract and stop the campaign which resulted in promo ads for the Genesee County area. 

4.  Email reports such as the daily "Changing Perceptions of Flint" and "College Movement" which Matt has initiated.  Sunrise Rotarians who were not at last week's meeting can sign up to receive either daily email report by contacting the FACVB.

Matt stated that he has accepted the position of Director of Communications for the Michigan Municipal League, but will continue to write the email reports until his replacement is hired.  We wish him well in his new position and thank him for the great job he has done during his short stay with the FACVB.

 

Rotarian Mike Heberling delivered a wealth of information for Rotary members old and new with his personally designed Rotary 101 presentation.  He covered topics beginning with the creation of Rotary by Chicago attorney, Paul Harris, who held the first Rotary meeting over 100 years ago on February 23, 1905.

 

During his presentation Mike explained the origin of the organization's unique name and the creation of the Rotary logo, how Rotary clubs geographical areas are assigned, the creation of the 4 Way Test and much more.  Mike also touched on current topics such as the including the astounding fact that over 2 billion children have received the polio vaccine and the $200 million challenge through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Do you have any "gently used" or new coats you could donate to The Salvation Army for their annual "Coats for Kids" campaign?  The 25 year old campaign is a joint partnership with ABC 12, WIOG radio station, and The Salvation Army.  Drop off boxes are located at the Genesee Valley Mall, Courtland Mall and all Haloburger locations.  All sizes of children's coats are needed - even adult coats for plus size children.  400 coats have been donated so far - the goal is to is to try and obtain 2000 coats due to the great need this winter season. 

For more information, visit www.salarmygenesee.org  for a complete list of collection sites or call The Salvation Army at 810-232-2196 to become a collection site or to learn more about Coats for Kids. 

 

Bruce Bradley was welcomed as the newest member of the Flint Sunrise Rotary Club today! Welcome Bruce!  Many thanks to Carol Hartley for bringing Bruce's talents to our club!

Dr. Bradley Habermehl of the Burton Rotary Club shared a presentation at the July 1^st meeting about this year's trip to Mexico for the Avoidable Blindness Project. Several area Rotarians, including our very own John Sundwick, teamed up with nearly 30 volunteers including several 3^rd year optometry students representing Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. The group traveled to Guaymas, Mexico with 12,000 pairs of donated glasses. Along with the assistance of the Empalme Rotary Club, which consists of 11 members, and the outstanding support of the Mayor, they tackled the huge task of fitting hundreds of people with glasses.

Dr. Habermehl, who has been participating in this project for 11 years, shared the experience he had with a 72 year old woman who had been fitted with glasses. She later returned to see him and with the help of a translator, expressed her deep gratitude through her tears "God bless you, this is the 1^st day I have been able to see my granddaughter!"

NiKiaya Mahone (left) and LaKisha Martin (right) were the 2009 scholarship recipients.  Both are graduates of Beecher High School and both are bound for the University of Michigan-Flint.  NiKiaya will be engaged in a dual major of criminal justice and sociology.  She was very active in volunteer work while at Beecher and will graduate seventh (7th) in her class.  LaKisha was designated the 2nd Annual Owen Fisher Memorial Scholarship recipient and will study health care administration at the University of Michigan-Flint. While at Beecher, she was active in Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Carriage Town Ministries, Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church Youth Group, Kettering University Creek Pre-College program as well as Marching Band majorettes and the "Buc Explosion Dance Team."  Great job Jim Murdock and his committee for their great work in identifying these outstanding students!

Jeff Bennett, President-Elect, inducts Tim Curry as a new member.  Ginger Virkler, Sponsor, looks on as Jeff extends his congratulations to Tim!

Congratulations to brother and sister Sunrise Rotarians John Sundwick and Carol Hartley on being recently awarded their Multiple Paul Harris Fellow pins!  Your continued generosity to The Rotary Foundation is greatly appreciated!