Join us this coming Tuesday at Jameson's Charhouse Restaurant 9525 Skokie Blvd. Skokie, IL 60076 - located next to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts and Doubletree Hotel - Phone: 847-673-9700.
Luncheon features:
Salad: Mixed greens, cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes. Accompanied by your choice of dressing; Balsamic, House, and Ranch
Entrée: The menu is rotated weekly with following entree - Artichoke Chicken, Crusted Tilapia, Broiled Cod and Chicken Marsala. To find our today's entree call Jameson's Charhouse at 847-673-9700
Dessert: Assortment of Chocolate Chip Cookies or Brownies
Alternative Selections:
Hamburger or Cheeseburger with French Fries
Caesar Salad with Chicken
Pasta Primavera
Lunch is $18 for members, visitors and guests.
Meetings begin at 12:15 PM & end at 1:30 PM every Tuesday.
Prospective Members:
Prospective members are invited to attend their first two meetings at the Rotary Club of Skokie Valley free of charge. Advance reservations are not required.
CLUB MEMBERS, CHECK BELOW TO VIEW WHEN ITS YOUR TURN TO PROVIDE THE SPEAKER AND FUN & FROLIC
Guest Speaker Gillian Hemme, Education Director at Piven Theatre Workshop
Gillian Hemme is a performer, writer, and director. She has studied at Grinnell College, Pacifica Graduate Institute, the National Theatre Institute, and Piven Theatre Workshop. Gillian has appeared on stage with Piven, The Moth, ten x9 Chicago, Literate Ape’s Bughouse, Something Marvelous, Prop Theatre, Jubilee Theatre Collective, Prologue, the Chicago Fringe Festival, and the International Theatre Festival in Taiwan. Her on-camera credits include Mind Games and The Onion, and she is represented by Big Mouth Talent. At Piven, she teaches PEEP (Piven Empowerment through Enrichment Program) classes for adults with developmental disabilities, directs for Performance Project, and teaches story theatre for Conservatory. She and Beth Voitik helped start the EPIC ensemble at Cook County Jail, where she and an outstanding team of teachers develop original performances with an incredible group of women.
Experienced with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry. Skilled in Non- Profit Organizations, Theatre, Performing Arts, Fundraising, and Acting. String arts and design professional with Bachelor of Arts (BA) focused un Theatre w/Honors; Pre Med from Grinnell College.
For over 45 years, the Piven Theatre Workshop has maintained both a professional theatre and a nationally acclaimed theatre workshop for children and adults. The mission of Piven Theatre Workshop is to encourage a process of creative exploration that celebrates each individual’s unique voice through an ensemble-based, community-oriented approach to theatre training and performance. This mission, as it has evolved over 40 years, is pursued through the three branches of the organization: the renowned theatre training center for children and adults which serves over 1,000 students annually and provides mentorship opportunities for emerging theatre artists and educators, the extensive scholarship and community based programs, and the professional Equity theatre committed to new works and literary adaptations.
The Piven Theatre Workshop now annually trains approximately 1,000 students from age 9 to adult. By focusing on the creative process rather than the pre-patterned result, on releasing the natural sense of play, and on the richest personal expression evoked through the communal experience that is theatre, the Piven Theatre Workshop training program has touched countless lives over the years. For all the spawning of celebrities, the Workshop’s greatest value over the years are the many students who have taken into their lives and varied professions an enriched understanding of the human exchange and greater confidence in the value of their unique presence.
Why Theatre Training?
Theatre training helps people, both young and old, become well-rounded, creative members of society.Watching and participating in theatre has been linked to benefits ranging from higher standardized test scores to improved social and emotional skills. Studying theatre gives students the opportunityto explore emotions in a safe environment while creating key connections within their peer group. Participants learn to empathize with characters of different backgrounds and viewpoints, fostering cultural competency in students of all ages.
Exposure to the arts in general and theatre specifically (especially within an improvisation-focused curriculum) encourages participants to have greater mental and emotional flexibility. Piven’s cohesive approach to theatre training, including training in improv, theatre games, scene study, and Story Theatre adaptation, produces alumni who are fluid thinkers who have the tools to be life-long learners in our ever- changing cultural landscape.
Why the Piven Technique?
Piven's focus is on a theatre games and improv-based training technique encourages students of all ages and skill levels to think creatively, to empathize with fellow ensemble members, to take bold risks in a safe environment, and to communicate both verbally and non-verbally on a sophisticated level. These skills translate to heightened acting skills and increased success in theatrical performances, as well as in a whole host of off-stage situations: navigating social groups, presenting in classroom and professional environments, and even improving focus and reading comprehension!
Piven’s theatre classes also harness the power of improvised play to create a sense of trust and community in each classroom, valuing the contributions of each individual’s voice while also teaching students the power of genuine connection within a group. While many of their students and alumni have found great professional success in the entertainment industry, they find that the greatest value of their training is the increased confidence and sense of belonging that their students emerge from their classrooms with—and all of the fun they have along the way!
Happy 115th birthday, fellow Rotarians and members of the family of Rotary!
Much has changed in the world since 1905. Then, the global population was roughly 1.7 billion. Today, it is 7.7 billion. There were 5 telephones per 100 people in the United States 115 years ago. In 2020, it is estimated that 96 percent of the U.S. population has a cellphone — and both China and India have more than a billion cellphones in use.
In the 115 years since Rotary was founded, seemingly everything has changed except Rotary values. We began, and remain, committed to fellowship, integrity, diversity, service, and leadership. While our Service Above Self motto dates to 1911, the ethos behind those words had already been ingrained by Rotary’s founders.
As the pace of change worldwide continues to accelerate, the need for Rotary service is greater than ever. It’s one thing to read about service projects, quite another to see them in action and to see the grateful faces of people who have benefited from them. Rotary projects change lives and connect the world. And over the past year, I have seen some amazing Rotary projects in action.
Gay and I visited Japan’s Fukushima prefecture last year. Few places in the world have had to deal with the kind of devastation that visited Fukushima in March 2011, when a tsunami touched off by an earthquake led to disaster at a nuclear power plant. But the story of Fukushima today is not one of destruction; it is one of hope and renewal. Rotary grants have helped improve access to medical and mental health care for victims of the disaster and reduced the isolation of these communities by sharing the experiences of people from other parts of the world who have also recovered from disasters. Our grants have also helped to foster self-motivation and encourage sustainable long-term community recovery across the region.
In every area of focus,
and in every part of the world,
Rotary projects are improving lives
and helping communities adapt
in a time of rapid change.
In Shanghai, I learned about the Careers in Care program. This helps migrant workers fill the need for skilled professionals in elder care facilities. After taking a course, trainees receive certification to boost their employment prospects, while the care industry benefits from an expanded talent pool. Rotary projects like this are successful because they address a local need, and they have the potential to attract local government funding to sustain their impact.
And in Guatemala, Gay and I went to Sumpango. Global grants there provide mechanical cows to produce soy milk; an improved water distribution system; water filters; clean compost latrines; family gardens; support for income generation; and training in WASH and literacy programs. The food items sold there not only provide nutrition to women and children, but also create a source of income for local women.
In every area of focus, and in every part of the world, Rotary projects are improving lives and helping communities adapt in a time of rapid change. As we celebrate another great year for Rotary, let us rededicate ourselves to strengthening the connections that make our service so impactful. We will make lives better as Rotary Connects the World.
This weekly electronic bulletin is intended to keep club members, friends of Rotary and bulletin subscribers up to date with weekly luncheon meetings and other club activities. Feedback, (positive or negative), is welcome!
