After last week's meeting was cancelled due to no heat in the building, we gathered for this week's meeting. President Gail Moseley opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Andy Denton followed with the invocation.
Gail welcomed our visitors. Wendy, Jason and Gavin Waskovich and told Wendy she was approved for membership by our board. If there are any comments, please forward them to Gail within the next two weeks. Her membership application is attached.
Having completed her blue sheet, De-de Mulligan was presented her blue badge by sponsor, Brad Ruth. Congratulations De-de on becoming a full member.
CELEBRATIONS:
Rotary Anniversary: Dinah Henderson is celebrating one year as a Rotarian this week.
Birthdays: Elizabeth Eaken, Jeff Film and Marty Tass all are celebrating birthdays this week. Maria Ferrara led us in singing to them.
Drawing: Jeff Film's table had the winning ticket but the 2 of spades was drawn.
CONCERNS:
Marv Mills fell and was hospitalized with a brain bleed, but now is back at Hudson Grande. He would appreciate cards.
Cindy Pribonic is back home and also likes cards and notes.
Jim Laber is dealing with a broken ankle.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Next Week: THERE WILL BE NO MORNING MEETING NEXT WEEK BECAUSE IT IS A FIFTH WEDNESDAY.
CPR Training: 20 Rotarians have signed up for the 6:30 CPR Training at the Safety Building next Wednesday, March 29. Jeff Film says they may be able to accommodate a few more people, so if anyone is interested, contact him immediately at 330-352-4895. Cost is $20. Participants should give their money to Annette and Rotary will then be invoiced for the training.
New Board Members: Voting took place this morning and Steve Dunton, Dick Hall and John Pribonic will start their new term July 1. Minutes of the March Board Meeting are attached to these minutes.
Foodbank: Tonight from 4:30 6:30 is our volunteer time at the Foodbank.
Collections for East Palestine: A collection bag will be available at the sign-in desk for anyone who wishes to donate. Our club will match anything donated.
Bunny Trail Hop: Participants will gather on Saturday, April 1 from 10:00-1:00 at Silver Springs Park. Rotarians are needed to help at the booth. Steve Dunton says to park in the lot on the back side of the park and our booth is between the two ball fields. Contact him at sdunton707@gmail.com if you need further information.
Blankets for Children's Hospital: See the attached e-mail for an opportunity to make blankets with Internet on Saturday, April 15 from 1:00-3:00.
Adopt-A-Spot: We will again have our spot at the corner of Graham and Darrow Rd.by the Doughboy. According to Marty Tass, planting will be on Saturday, May 20 mid-morning.
Golf Outing: Plans for our June 16 event continue. Sponsors, hole sponsors and golfers are being recruited. Members are also asked to donate good golf balls and $25.00 gift cards to be used as prizes at the event. Special thanks to Pat Messmore for becoming our Platinum Sponsor.
New Rotary Shirts: New shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts are available for both men and women. Check out the display when you come to the next meeting.
Bulldog Bags: The items needed from us by April 12 include: soup cups, mini bags of pretzels, bars of soap, 24 or 32 ounce jars of pasta sauce and 1 lb. boxes of pasta. Your donations can be brought to the meetings, or dropped off at the library or in the lobby of City Hall.
PROGRAM: Maria Ferrara, Senior Manager, Remote Online Notarization Solutions at Snapdocs, Inc. introduced us to the whole world of working remotely, how it happens, and the benefits and problems with the situation. She is a graduate of Kent State University and in addition to her expertise in online notarization, she is a musician who has just finished her first album, "Connections" by Maria and The Balance. It will be debuted locally at Jilly's Music Room on Saturday, May 5 at 8:00 p.m. You can get a taste of her work on her website, her facebook page or wherever you listen to music.
Maria began by sharing that working remotely usually means working from home, although some individuals actually make a restaurant or other location their base. The schedule generally has built in flexibility. In some cases, this involves hybrid working where people work remotely part of the time and go into the office for a few days as well. Some contributing factors that spurred the remote work plan were rising costs of living in major cities, the ability for employees to move and still keep their position, the expansion of technology and of course the pandemic. There has been a 1100% rise in remote employment growth since March of 2021.
There are both pros and cons to this type of employment. Pros for the companies include being able to attract top talent nationally, having a more inclusive workforce, real estate cost savings and ability to retain employees and increased productivity. For the workers, there is less time and less fuel spent in commuting, a greater possibility of building a healthier balance between work and the rest of the employee's life and pets love it. The negatives involve less opportunities for socialization, difficulty in unplugging at the end of the day, struggles with self-motivation and discipline and finding a different way to collaborate and create community. Personally, Maria finds this way of work rewarding because she saves money, can do more work in less time and can find a balance to her life.
Maria specifically specializes in notarization. Doing this on-line is legal in 43 states but right now Secure Notarization Act of 2023 is going to the Senate so that, if this passes it will move notarization under federal instead of state laws. This type of notary assistance is used in real estate, automotive purchases, healthcare with papers like Power of Attorney, other legal documents and estate planning. In order to participate, the customer needs to have a valid i.d., social security number or six months of credit, a device with audio and video capabilities and the ability to pass log-in questions. A list of
online platforms. along with uses and needs are attached to these minutes.
President Gail ended the meeting by leading us in the Four-Way Test.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Tonight: 4:30-6:30 Foodbank Volunteer time
Wednesday, March 29 6:30 at the Safety Building. CPR Training for those who have registered. NO MORNING MEETING.
Saturday, April 1, 10:00-1:00 Bunny Trail Hop at Silver Springs
Wednesday, April 5, 7:30 at Bellacinos, Program about the Secret Service
Friday, April 14, 7:15-8:30 a.m. Board Meeting at City Hall
Saturday, April 15 1:00-3:00 Interact/Rotary Blanket Making
Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, District Conference at the Marriott East in Orange Village
Saturday, May 13. Heroes Day
Friday, June 16, Golf Outing at Fox Den
Wednesday, October 11, Reverse Raffle/Silent Auction
Submitted by Andy Denton