After Gail Moseley led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, Program Host, Tony Malorni led us in a great invocation about peace. Gail then thanked Steve Dunton and Dave Renninger for getting us checked in this morning and welcomed our guest speaker, Tanya Budler.
CELEBRATIONS:
Rotary Anniversaries: Todd Hearty and Mary Parr are both celebrating 1 year as Rotarians this week.
Birthday: If you see Pat Messmore, wish him Happy Birthday.
Award: District Governor, Dave Jones, was present at Club Interact's Senior Banquet on Monday evening to present the Richard "Dick" Pitcher Award to club advisor and Rotarian, Dinah Henderson. The District selected her to receive the award in recognition of her contributions and dedication to Interact. Congratulations, Dinah.
HAPPY BUCKS:
Brad Ruth said that his middle daughter, who graduated in December will begin teaching in Streetsboro.
Maria Ferrara, launched her album "Connections" at Jilly's Music Room last Saturday evening and did a great job. Several Rotarians were there to witness the event.
DRAWING: Tom Loepp had the winning ticket but pulled the three of spades.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Board Meeting will be this Friday, May 12 at 7:15 a.m. at City Hall. Minutes of the April meeting are attached to these minutes.
Heroes Day: This weekend we will observe Heroes Day in Stow and Munroe Falls when over 200 veterans and retired police and fire personnel will be honored. Interact students will work on the preparation Friday afternoon and then Rotarians will deliver the plants at 8:00 on Saturday morning. People who are delivering should pick up their items at the FOP building behind the Church in Silver Lake. Jeff Film, Chair of the event gave special thanks to Leslee Salhaney who secured all plants from Pettitis as a donation.
Adopt-A-Spot: Marty Tass announced that planting for our spot will be May 20 at 10:00 a.m. at the Doughboy. Sign up as you sign in next week and bring your planting tools on the 20th.
Golf Outing: The next meeting of the committee will be Monday, May 15 at 6:00 in the FOP Lodge in Silver Lake. Things are progressing well. Remember to bring your sleeves of golf balls for donations along with gift cards. Golfers are still being welcomed, so talk with your friends today about playing.
Treasurer: Thanks to John Long for agreeing to be the club treasurer in July when Annette Oborn becomes club president.
President-Elect-Elect: If you have been holding back in throwing your hat in the ring to become club president in July of 2024, now is the time to tell Gail you are interested.
The Rotary Foundation Coordinator: Who is interested in leading the club through donations to the international foundation, and then recognizing those who have achieved Paul Harris status? Dave Renninger and Maria Ferrara did it last time and have a great system in place so it should be easy for Dave to help with the transition. Talk to Dave if you are interested.
Foodbank: Mary Dula explained that the Interact students will not be going back to volunteer until August. Therefore, it is very important that Rotarians plan to go. Our volunteer time is 4:30-6:30 the 4th Wednesday of the month. That means we will go next on May 24. Sign up as you sign in next week.
Fifth Wednesday: You may have heard that we were going to Rubber Ducks for our evening fifth Wednesday activity. That is not going to work, but stay tuned for another plan.
PROGRAM: Program Host, Tony Malorni described his favorite Rotary moment. One of the reasons he transferred to our club is the amount of service we provide. He believes that we should give our time, our treasure and our talent.
He then introduced Tanya Budler, who is the Founder and Managing Principal of Rise Together. They specialize in linking international people with workforce needs. She came to Northeast Ohio by way of growing up in Nebraska and then securing a B.A. from Dartmouth and a MEd from Harvard. Her father taught her to work hard, stay humble and always be in service. When in high school, she told her parents she wanted to do a youth exchange. She worked in a cafe to fund the trip and feels that spending a year in Italy opened up who she was meant to be, believing that if you can change one person, you can change the world. By settling in Northeast Ohio, she feels she is combining her international focus with her midwest upbringing.
Rise Together marries workforce challenges to opportunities in a welcoming workforce where the serious talent shortage of this country is matched with the possibilities of international newcomers to our area. When we utilize the skills of the newcomers, we can solve the needs of both employers and employees. The Cuyahoga Falls area is uniquely situated for this, particularly in thanks to the Napalese and Butanese populations. A major reason for the success here is the gathering of the strongest people of the city working to understand the personal motivation of the newcomers. This works to enhance the reputation of Cuyahoga Falls as a great place to thrive. Their example is recognized both nationally and internationally. Summit County, along with neighboring counties are recognizing the possibilities that are waiting to be utilized.
Tanya's excitement for the accomplishments of the group is contagious. Who can help but look for ways to strengthen this situation as problems with language, transportation and housing are addressed, while at the same time employers address their need for employees. This is a way of thinking outside of the box.
President Gail closed the meeting by leading us in the Four-Way-Test.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Friday, May 12, 7:15 a.m. Board Meeting at City Hall
Friday, May 12, 3:30 at FOP Lodge, Heroes Day Preparation
Saturday, May 13, 8:00 a.m. Heroes Day Delivery
Wednesday, May 17, Morning Meeting at Bellacinos for the program "Not Just October".
Saturday, May 20, 10:00 a.m. Adopt-A-Spot Planting
Wednesday, May 24, Foodbank Volunteer time 4:30-6:30 at the Foodbank.
Wednesday, May 31, No morning meeting but a Fifth Wednesday activity in the evening TBA.
Friday, June 16, Golf Outing at Fox Den
Wednesday, October 11, in the evening, Reverse Raffle/ Silent Auction
Submitted by Andy Denton