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Tomorrow’s meeting:
Rotarian Dominick Recckio, Tompkins County Communications Director.
“Update: Tompkins County’s Response to COVID-19”
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 880 0341 6864; Passcode: 702484 August 12, 2020
Newsletter Reporter: Gail Lyman | Editor: Ted Schiele I keep my eyes and ears open for unexpected ties to Rotary, as I’m sure most of us do. This past week I was listening to “The Axe Files,” a favorite podcast hosted by former Obama advisor David Axelrod. In this episode, “Axe” was interviewing Atul Gawande, a remarkable surgeon and author, and staff writer for The New Yorker. One of Axelrod’s talents is guiding his guests to tell wonderful stories about their families and their past. Atul Gawande related how his parents, both doctors from India, left New York City for the much smaller, Athens, Ohio, where Atul’s father, as part of his proactive efforts to join of the community, joined Rotary. I looked up Atmaram “Ram” Gawande, and found a notice about his passing in 2011 on the Rotary Club of Athens, Ohio website. “He was a devoted Rotarian,” the notice said, “serving as local president and, after his retirement from surgery in 2009, as District Governor, and led numerous humanitarian projects both locally and abroad.” Atul’s mother joined Rotary the year women were admitted, and also served as the Athens Club’s president. Remarkable people, Rotarians. President Geoff Dunn opened last week’s meeting by asking three visiting Rotarians from District 7170, Dave Bensley, Evan Kurks, and Rocky Marinez, to join him in reciting the Four-Way Test. The Thought for The Day followed, given by Dale Flinn. Dale shared a bit of elephant trivia, a quote from the teachings of Buddha, and from Jim Rohn: We are what we think… Speak or act with an impure mind, and trouble will follow you, as the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart. Speak or act with a pure mind, and happiness will follow you, as your shadow, unshakable. — Buddha
Your life doesn't get better by chance. It gets better by change. — Jim Rohn Visitor introductions included Chris Cain, Chief Experience Officer at Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Patrick Hunter from Unity House, and visiting Rotarians mentioned earlier, Past DG Dave Bensley, DG-Elect Evan Kurks, and Rocky Martinez. Our friend and regular guest, Cornell grad student Gusti Budiarta, was also on board. Last week’s DoGoodery Raffle prize was a $50 gift certificate to Buffalo Street Books, and three cookbooks. Many thanks to Ray Brisson, who has taken charge of promoting, collecting, and selecting the winning ticket while Maricelis is on vacation. Sherrie Negrea was last week’s winner. This month’s DoGoodery raffle mini-grant recipient is Loaves & Fishes (watch Dennis Gray’s video here).
President Geoff’s Odds & Ends Rotarian Ralph Jones passed away on August 6, at age 91. Ralph was active in Rotary during the ’80s & ’90s, and a Paul Harris Fellow. In the Ithaca community, he was instrumental in organizing the Ithaca Educational Initiative. Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been selected as Rotary lnternational’s President for 2022-23, a ground-breaking action for Rotarians worldwide. Jennifer is the first woman to hold that office in the organization's 115 year history. Read more about Jennifer’s nomination here. Spearheaded by Jeff True and Mary Berens, Geoff reminded us of our Club’s resolution a few years ago in support of women advancing to leadership positions in Rotary International. Catherine Charnoky, the 2020 James L. Gibbs Scholarship winner, will join us at tomorrow’s meeting. She will share her thoughts on receiving the Gibbs Scholarship, and what path of study she will be pursuing at Amherst College. The Seventh Annual Rotary Road Rally, held on Sunday August 9, was the “best ever,” netting $2,402 for the Gibbs Scholarship. A total 36 vehicles transported 79 adults and 8 kids from the starting line at Triad Foundation’s HQ on Craft Rd., to the Meyers Point finish. Special thanks to Jeff True for arranging the starting point set-up, to Stacy McNeil for getting the Salvation Army food truck to Meyers, and to three sponsors: Rotarian Nick Romo and his State Farm agency, Maguire Auto, and an anonymous Club member. And extra special thanks to Kelly Buck and the whole RRR team!  Oh wait! There were prizes! Loralyn Light and spouse David Parks took 1st place, Larry and Trudy Baum got the Anchor Team award for the lowest number of points, and June and Frank Losurdo were picked in the random drawing of pre-registered teams. The best car & costumes award went to Mike Sigler and his family, and Jean and Dan McPheeters got the prize for most miles driven.
Rotarians from the Oneonta, Richfield Springs, and Trumansburg (President Peggy Haine) also participated in the RRR. For a complete rundown of prizes, and a review of the course written by Kelly Buck, click here. P.S. Unknown to me, the course went right past my house on Cobb St (a couple of miles after the cemetery). My wife, Chris was working out front, and wondered why all these clumps of cars were slowing down at our house. It only took me a minute to realize it was the RRR! Rotary Harvest is coming up fast, and Heidi Goldstein asked for volunteers. Dates are this Saturday, Aug. 22, and the next 2 Saturdays, Aug. 29, and Sept. 5. The crew will meet at the Farmers Market at 8:00 a.m. If you can help out, please send Heidi an email with your name, email, phone, and dates you can work.
Jo-Ellen Hedlund introduced the topic, “A Safe Conversation on Racism: 4 Questions,” and the speakers, DGE Evan Kurtz, and fellow Club members Josephine Allen and Cal Walker. DGE Evan spoke first. As a white male, Evan acknowledged that there is racism in our laws and societal practices. The first step in his journey to understand racism takes personal introspection and reflection, he said. Next, Josephine spoke. Josephine grew up in the late 1940s, in a segregated, southwest section of Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother was a school teacher and father was in the military. Both parents were members of NAACP, and Josephine joined as a youth member. She experienced discrimination and vectors of injustices; watching KKK marches with her parents, being required to sit in the back when riding on a bus, attending a school that was “separate but not equal,” and witnessing a cross burning when her aunt and uncle moved to a white section of Atlanta. Josephine attended Vassar College and the University of Michigan at a time when colleges and universities were trying to hire more faculty of color, and add African American Studies to their curriculum. When she attended Cornell University in 1977, apartheid South Africa was a big issue. Protesters on the Cornell campus were advocating that the university divest of all investment in companies doing business in South Africa. Josephine’s son was a Rotary exchange student to Germany, and she hosted two Rotary exchange students, leading the way for her to join Rotary in 1991. She emphasized that having a Black woman nominated as Vice President is important step forward, but inequality for minorities still needs to be addressed. Cal spoke last. Cal described our country as divided on a wide span of issues. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we are politically divided on mask wearing and how children return to school. But, Cal emphasized that our deepest divisions relate to race, in terms of “who we are and what we believe.” In Cal's opinion, our country was founded with “honest and honorable” aspirational goals and visions based on three basic premises: establish justice, liberty and justice for all, and equal justice under law. It seems clear to him that these founding principles support “social justice” that incorporates inclusivity and connectivity as human and moral imperatives, and not as political flashpoints. Cal gave a quote from naturalist Tempest Williams that expressed an urgency for unity for our divided times: “The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.” To do this Cal believes that we, as a nation, must “distinguish between fact and opinion.” To promote greater racial understanding and unity within our nation, Cal emphasized that struggle is involved. Agreeing with Frederick Douglass, Cal stated, “Where there is no struggle, there is no progress.” To bring about greater racial understanding, Cal emphasized that the starting point is the need to talk about race, followed by the desire to gain understanding from different viewpoints. Cal invited each of us to consider and reconsider our perspectives towards race, and ask ourselves the following questions: Do we feel uncomfortable to ask how it feels to be black? Do we ask how we can help end racial inequality and promote social justice for all races? How may we increase our compassion for racial injustice? Relating to this struggle, Cal showed a video, “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” In the video, Emmanuel Acho sits down to have an “uncomfortable conversation” with white America in order to educate and inform on racism, systematic racism, social injustice, rioting, and the hurt African Americans are feeling today. Recommendations were given by Cal for how we may come together as a club to help dismantle racism and support social justice in our society. Cal encouraged our support for the following: unhindered voting, equality in education, and promotion of political changes in law enforcement. The conversation continues tonight, Tues., Aug. 18, from 7:00-9:00 p.m., in an open forum on Zoom. Everyone is invited to attend. Click here for more info and to join the Zoom. Jo-Ellen posted a resource list in the meeting chat area last week, which you can access by clicking here. You can view a recording of last week's meeting by clicking here. Use this access password: j.F.u3E. The program and discussion begins at the 31 minute mark. President Geoff closed saying that he welcomes suggestions about how our club can “advance this important and challenging issue further, and turn these discussions into action for us as individuals, as an organization, and as a community.”
Workers:
• Thought for the Day, Dale Flinn
• Introductions, Rotary hosts introduced their guests
Bulletin Reporter: Gail Lyman
Photographer: Mike Brown
Bulletin Editor: Ted Schiele
Club Service Facilitators, Beverly Baker & June Losurdo
Sunshine Chair, Kellyann O’Mara
Aug. 19, 2020
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 880 0341 6864; Passcode: 702484
Dominick Recckio, Tompkins County Communications Director.
“Update: Tompkins County’s Response to COVID-19”
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