In an effort to follow COVID-19 response guidelines from health and governmental organizations, modifications have been made to the schedule of upcoming Rotary gatherings and events. Club leadership will continue to review guidelines and do what seems best for our members and the community.
April events:
April 2 (tomorrow) - Facebook Live Meeting, online only (Rotary After Hours, canceled)
April 6 - Channel One service, canceled
April 8 - World Community Service Rotary Clubs of Rochester team meeting, via email
April 9 - Rotary Midday Meeting, canceled
April 13 - Salvation Army Lunch Service, canceled
April 14 - STRIVE at John Marshall (canceled)
April 15 - STRIVE at Mayo (cancelled)
April 15 - Rotary Information Meeting, canceled
April 16 - STRIVE at Century (canceled)
April 16 - Facebook Live Meeting, online only
April 17 - Rotary Ethics Workshop team meeting, via email
April 20 - Youth Exchange Team meeting (currently still scheduled)
April 20 - Chocolate Festival Planning Team meeting, canceled
April 23 - Rotation Day, canceled
April 29 - STRIVE Celebration (rescheduled)
April 30 - Facebook Live meeting, online only
Please keep in mind, although we may not be gathering in person, you can always access Rotary meetings via eClub One at https://www.rotaryeclubone.org/. Additionally, our fellow Rotarians can provide a great system of support if you need help during this time. If you are in need, you might consider emailing, texting or calling your fellow Rotarians for professional, social, or emotional support.
I am writing to personally thank you and your clubs for their support of the 2020 NCPETS held in Rochester on March 12th - 14th.
Your members created a very welcoming atmosphere for the President-Elects, President-Elect Nominees and the other club representatives from the five Districts that attended.
This vital training event helps to prepare our incoming club leaders to lead their members as they continue to expand the good work we do in the world. This event cannot happen without the involvement of dedicated Rotarians willing to go above and beyond.
Thank you for making the 2020 NCPETS the success that it was and ensuring our clubs have an outstanding year in 2020-21!
Rotarians, along with family and friends of all ages, are invited and encouraged to join others to plant trees at Bear Creek Park, 4-7 pm on Wednesday, May 6. The group will gather at the park pavilion for instructions. This planting is a continuation of efforts started by 2018 Rotary International President Ian Riseley when he encouraged Rotarians to focus on the environment and clubs to plant at least one tree per Rotarian. The Rotary clubs of Rochester have met the goal and continue to act upon the challenge. You can be part of this effort in two ways: volunteer by registering your participation here and/or make a financial contribution to the Rotary Club of Rochester Foundation to assist with the purchase of the trees.
Rotary Club of Rochester members, do you have a 2019-2020 graduate? We would like to honor them at our June 11 (date change) Midday Meeting!
By May 28, please email to the Rotary office (romnrotary@gmail.com) your graduate’s school, major (if a higher education student), activities/experiences/achievements, and upcoming plans. We encourage you to invite your student to join you in person at the meeting, but for those graduates who cannot attend the meeting, please send a photo, as well. A brief PowerPoint presentation will be shared during the meeting.
Please contact Rotarian Kelly Engler or the Rotary office if you have questions. Congratulations to those with graduates!
The circular economy provides a framework to solve the plastic problem. Business can take the lead.
In 2018, as the recipient of an Eisenhower Fellowship, Matt Kopac spent five weeks traveling in South America and Europe. During that time, he met with leaders in government and business, as well as leaders at universities and nonprofits, discussing, as he puts it, “the future of our economy.” When he returned home, he told his fellow members of the Rotary Club of Durham, North Carolina, what he had learned.
“We take a lot for granted,” he explained in a July 2018 presentation to his club. “We imagine that the economy we have is the one we were always meant to have, and the one that we will always have. As in prior eras, we have difficulty perceiving when we are amidst great changes.”
One of those changes was the potential shift from the wasteful linear economy of the last 200 or so years to the more sustainable circular economy he had encountered during his travels. A feature of the latter was its approach to plastic, which was once celebrated for its disposability. “Collecting and reusing consumer plastic waste is a circular practice,” he said.
Kopac got into the details of the circular economy during a recent interview with senior staff writer Diana Schoberg. “It’s just a different way of thinking about material use, a different way of thinking about our economy,” he says. Furthermore, this new approach helps delineate the “role businesses can play proactively to create a better world.”
Lorrie Lynn Swancutt passed away at Seasons Hospice House surrounded by her family on Thursday, March 19, 2020.
Lorrie was born on May 22, 1960, in Rochester to Charles and Diana Schroeder. Lorrie married Kevin Swancutt, of Rochester, on March 20, 1982, and have two children, Kristopher and Kari (DeYoung).
Lorrie was diagnosed on April 25, 2018, with bulbar onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's disease), a fast progression of the disease. Lorrie fought this most terrible illness with Jesus Christ at her side, and with positivity unrivaled given the dire situation.
Lorrie graduated from Rochester Mayo High School in 1978 and worked at Smith Schaefer and Associates as their firm administrator from 1978 to 1997. In 1997, she left the firm to become a partner at the Tile Superstore until June 2019.
Lorrie was a life-long member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday school, sang in choir, and served on many committees. She was a firm believer in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and that this life is not the end, but only the beginning.
Lorrie was a member of the Rochester Rotary Club for 10+ years, where she was involved in the Strive mentorship program, and the Holiday Classic basketball tournament.
In an effort to follow COVID-19 response guidelines from health and governmental organizations, modifications have been made to the schedule of upcoming Rotary gatherings and events. Club leadership will continue to review guidelines and do what seems best for our members and the community.
I am writing to personally thank you and your clubs for their support of the 2020 NCPETS held in Rochester on March 12th - 14th.
Rotarians, along with family and friends of all ages, are invited and encouraged to join others to plant trees at Bear Creek Park, 4-7 pm on Wednesday, May 6. The group will gather at the park pavilion for instructions. This planting is a continuation of efforts started by 2018 Rotary International President Ian Riseley when he encouraged Rotarians to focus on the environment and clubs to plant at least one tree per Rotarian. The Rotary clubs of Rochester have met the goal and continue to act upon the challenge. You can be part of this effort in two ways: volunteer by registering your participation 
Lorrie Lynn Swancutt passed away at Seasons Hospice House surrounded by her family on Thursday, March 19, 2020.