ATTENDANCE: Annie Hanson Hilaire, John Long, Ray Evans, Roger Cline, Don Coughlin, Elizabeth Eaken, Lisa Toppin, Tom Loepp, Gail Moseley, Mary Dula, Steve Stimmel, Ron Taggart, Amanda Steinheiser, Linda Trevorrow, Merissa Williams, Rich Bedell, Jim Laber, Dick Hall, Marty Tass, Dave Christman, Annette Oborn, J.T. Stimler, Bob Oborn, and Andy Denton. Guests today were Sue Figler of the Great Trail Council of the Boy Scouts and Emily Torok, our speaker.
Annie was our acting president today while Carrie Leising is on vacation,and opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. She also led us in an invocation about practicing kindness.
HAPPY BUCKS:
Don Coughlin told us that his granddaughter was named Athlete of the Week at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts as a freshman. Her brother, who graduated from the same school will be attending Miami of Ohio where he will play ice hockey and major in business.
Steve Stimmel is doing well, this week, with his chemotherapy treatments.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Annie reminded us that next week will be a special virtual installation celebration as we install Linda Trevorrow as our new president and thank Carrie for her leadership this past year. Be sure to be a part of the celebration!
Marty Tass, speaking for Adopt A Spot, gave us a wonderful opportunity to be with another Rotarian during this pandemic. Two people could keep social distancing and weed for 20 minutes and keep our spot well under control. A new sign has been erected saying that it is our club's Adopt-A-Spot. We need to give it special attention this year because of all of the people looking at the senior signs at the same corner as the doughboy and our spot. Thank you in advance.
We will resume donating the money we would have spent for breakfast to the club so that it can be given to a deserving entity. If you would like to participate in this, send your money to Annette Oborn at 381 Silver Valley Blvd., Munroe Falls, OH 44262 If you choose to pay the full amount, breakfasts would be $52 for July. The club will decide on where the money will go in the next couple of weeks.
Dues are due now! Remember that you can pay a full year or 1/2 year with the rest due in January. Send your check to Treasurer, Annette Oborn at the address in the above paragraph. (She will get it if it goes to the club's P.O. Box as well.)
Be sure to check out the Alternate Parade that the City of Stow will present to honor our heroes this Saturday, July 4. It will follow a 35 mile route throughout the city. A GPS unit will make it possible for you to know when it is coming near you. More information is on the Stow website.
PROGRAM: Annie presented Emily Torok, a graduate of the University of Akron as a Political Science major who now leads the Ohio School Safety Center within the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Public Safety in Ohio.
Emily explained that the center was established by Gov. DeWine in August of 2019 to evaluate and improve resources for preventing, preparing for and responding to threats and acts of violence surrounding the 5600 school buildings in Ohio. They work with the Department of Education but are not part of that department. They are on the look-out for individual and group threats whether that be for a suicidal individual or a threat to the whole school. Staff does on-line training and have presented suicide prevention training recently. There is a Safe Ohio School Tip Line at 844-723-3764 where the information is reviewed and then sent to local law enforcement so that resource and guidance can be provided to the schools or individual. There is an Ohio Schools Safety Work Group that addresses, mental health education, physical safety, security and emergency management. They can offer best practices in safety to local schools once weaknesses in the school services are identified. The pandemic has changed how they do business and even how drills are held. To contact the Ohio School Safety Center call 614-644-2641 or go to SaferSchools@dps.ohio.gov. To contact Emily, call 614-387-1932 or at emtorok@dps.ohio.gov.
JOKE: It was Ray Evans who sent us off with a joke today. It was about a school student who was doing math problems in a very humorous way. I am sure Ray will be glad to share it with you if you weren't at the zoom meeting today.
Next week Amanda Steinheiser will share a joke.
Annie dismissed us to go forth in service.
Submitted by Andy Denton